RT Journal
A1 Young D, Phillips JA, Yu T, Haythornthwaite JA
T1 EFfects of a life skills intervention for increasing physical activity in adolescent girls
JF Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
JO Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
YR 2006
FD December 1
VO 160
IS 12
SP 1255
OP 1261
DO 10.1001/archpedi.160.12.1255
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.160.12.1255
AB Background 
    Although adolescence is a time when physical activity levels decline, few interventions have targeted high school–aged girls in the school setting.Objective 
    To evaluate the effects of a life skills–oriented physical activity intervention for increasing overall physical activity in high school–aged girls.Design 
    Randomized controlled trial.Setting 
    Baltimore magnet high school.Participants 
    A total of 221 ninth-grade girls, 83.0% of whom were African American.Intervention 
    Participants were randomized to an 8-month physical intervention conducted in physical education class or to a standard physical education class (control).Main Outcome Measures 
    Self-reported estimated daily energy expenditure (physical activity), self-reported sedentary activities (television viewing and computer or Internet use), cardiorespiratory fitness, and selected cardiovascular disease risk factors.Results 
    Intervention classes spent 46.9% of physical education class time in moderate to vigorous activity compared with 30.5% of time for control classes (P<.001). There were no significant between-treatment group differences for mean daily energy expenditure (P = .93), moderate-intensity energy expenditure (P = .77), or hard to very hard energy expenditure (P = .69). The proportion of participants who spent 3 or more hours viewing television during school days declined from 22.3% to 17.0% in the intervention group, but remained at 26.7% for the control group (P = .03). Both groups improved their cardiorespiratory fitness (P<.001).Conclusion 
    A life skills–oriented physical education curriculum may need to be combined with other approaches to increase the magnitude of effects on physical activity behavior in predominantly African American high school–aged girls.