Toward Active Living: Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program Research and Implications

ABSTRACT

Comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP) holds much promise as a solution for youth PA promotion, due to its strong theoretical and political support. In this article, we review the current research on CSPAP. Fifty-four published articles that met the inclusion criteria were identified and retrieved using direct library database search and bibliography cross-referencing. Based on the literature review in this article, we describe the theoretical foundation of CSPAP, summarize the effects of CSPAP interventions on PA and other related outcomes, highlight the role of school physical education (PE) and PE teachers in the context of CSPAP, and identify the key to successful CSPAP implementation. We finally discuss the implications of current CSPAP research and other scholarly works for future research and practice—advocating the important functionality of school PE for health and student learning.

KEYWORDS:

• Health
• learning
• physical activity
• school
• youth

Notes

1. AQTR = Assessing Quality Teaching Rubrics

^2. S-PAPA = School Physical Activity Policy Assessment

^3. PETPAS = Physical Education Teachers Physical Activity Self-Efficacy Instrument

^4. PACER = Progressive Aerobirc Cardiovascular Endurance Run

^5. IPAQ = International Physical Activity Questionnaire