Physical Activity and Children
and Adolescents
Knowledge Path
Knowledge Path Table of Contents
- Websites
- Additional Electronic Publications
- Databases
- Electronic Newsletters and Online Discussion Groups
Resources on Specific Aspects of Physical Activity
Please provide feedback on this knowledge path.
This knowledge path about physical activity and children and adolescents has been compiled by the MCH Library at Georgetown University. It offers a selection of current, high-quality resources that analyze data, describe public health campaigns and other promotion programs, and report on research aimed at identifying promising strategies for improving physical activity levels within families, schools and after-school programs, child care and early childhood education settings, and communities. The knowledge path also provides resources about physical activity for children and adolescents with special health care needs. The knowledge path is aimed at health professionals, policymakers, child care providers, and community advocates. Separate briefs present resources for schools and families. The knowledge path will be updated periodically.
See Physical Activity and the Health of Young People, rev. ed. (2008) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This fact sheet highlights the benefits of regular physical activity and the long-term consequences of sedentary behavior for children and adolescents. It also presents participation rates in physical activity and in physical education classes for children and adolescents.
- American
Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
(AAHPERD). Includes publications, program information, electronic
discussion groups, and links to a research
consortium and each of the alliance organizations that represent
professionals in physical education, health education, recreation,
dance, and sports. The organizations are the American
Association for Health Education (AAHE), the American
Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR),
the National
Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS), the National
Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), and
the National Dance
Association (NDA).
- American College of Sports Medicine Active Nation Initiative.. Presents an online catalog of expert reviewed research and education materials for professionals and families about
child and adolescent sports and health.
- Association
of State and Territorial Public Health Nutrition Directors (ASTPHND):
Moving to the Future. Offers a collection of tools
to develop successful community programs that promote healthy
eating and physical activity. Includes instructions for conducting
a community assessment, writing objectives, developing a plan,
and evaluating programs. ASTHPHND also presents
Critical Need for Public Health Leadership and Capacity to Improve Health through Physical Activity: Recommendations from the Physical Activity Collaborative. (2008).
- Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Supports several
initiatives and offers many resources to improve
physical activity among children, adolescents, and adults
that include
Explanation of U.S. Physical Activity Surveys. Describes and compares several different national surveys that track physical activity in many age groups and at several levels for the United States national public health objectives. Also provides background information about physical activity assessment.
Guide to Community Preventive Services: Physical Activity. Contains recommendations for population-based interventions to increase physical activity that are appropriate for communities and health care systems. Recommendations are focused on interventions in three areas: (1) campaigns and informational approaches to increasing physical activity, (2) behavioral and social approaches to increasing physical activity, and (3) environmental and policy approaches to increasing physical activity.
Physical Activity Resources for Health Professionals. Offers information and tools for state and local health departments, schools and universities, community coalitions, organizations that fund public health programs, health care systems, and other groups that have an interest in or responsibility for increasing physical activity. Provides reports and recommendations, data and surveillance resources, information to assist with program planning and evaluation, and ideas for physical activity promotion.
Social Marketing for Nutrition and Physical Activity. This online course provides training for public health professionals about how to use social marketing to plan nutrition, physical activity, and obesity-prevention programs.
Tobacco-Free Sports Initiatives. Offers materials to help coaches, school administrators, and state and local health departments promote the importance of choosing an active and tobacco-free lifestyle.
Also see these additional CDC resources: Youth Physical Activity Guidelines Toolkit (2009), Healthy Youth!, BAM! Body and Mind, Best Bones Forever!, Physical Activity for Everyone, Designing and Building Healthy Places, and the Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity State Legislative Database.
- Girls
on the Run (GOTR). Offers information about this nationwide
program to promote physical activity and healthy behaviors among
girls age 8 to 13.
- Healthy
People 2020. Information about this national health-promotion
and disease-prevention initiative of the Department
of Health and Human Services. View the overview, objectives,
and recommended interventions and resources for physical
activity.
- National
Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA). Presents
information about the National Physical Activity
Plan and its implementation along with links to fact sheets,
tools, reports, and state physical activity coalitions. NCPPA
is a coalition of public, private, and industry organizations
that advocate for policies to encourage all Americans to lead
more physically active lives. See NCPPA’s e-newsletters.
- National
Physical Activity Plan. Presents a set of strategies
and tactics that aim to increase physical activity in all segments
of the U.S. population. The National Coalition
for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA) is coordinating the
implementation of the plan among organizations throughout the
country.
- National
Society of Physical Activity Practitioners in Public Health (NSPAPPH).
Presents articles, conference and program information, and links
to physical activity resources that have been developed by state
and national organizations.
- National
Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Offers
position statements, journal article abstracts, and other resources
about strength training and conditioning practices to improve
athletic performance and fitness. Topics include anabolic steroid
abuse.
- Physical
Activity Guidelines for Americans. Presents science-based
guidance to help Americans ages 6 and older improve their health
through participation in appropriate physical activity. Recommendations
are provided for groups such as children and adolescents, adults,
older adults, pregnant and postpartum women, and individuals
with special health care needs. Other resources include a blog and fact
sheet for health professionals and a toolkit with posters and
other materials for organizations and communities. The guidelines
are presented by the Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Materials include
2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. (2008). A chapter addresses physical activity in children and adolescents. CDC's Youth Physical Activity Guidelines Toolkit (2009) highlights strategies that schools, families, and communities can use to support these guidelines.
Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report. (2008). This report documents the scientific background and rationale for the guidelines.
- President’s
Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS). Contains
resources for coaches, teachers, health and fitness professionals,
and families about physical fitness. Resources include a physical
activity and fitness program toolkit, guides, fact sheets, research
briefs, and the President’s Challenge,
an online physical activity tracking and award program.
- Up2Us: Bring Change Through
Youth Sports. Presents program information, fact
sheets, and policy briefs about using physical activity and sports
as a tool for youth development. Up2Us is a national coalition
of sports-based youth-development organizations.
- Women’s
Sports Foundation. Offers program and grant information
and reports, policy statements, and guides about sports and physical
activity for girls and women. Resources and initiatives include
GoGirlGo! Presents program information, curricula, guides, and Spanish-language materials about this effort to improve the health and wellness of girls ages 8-18 through physical activity.
Go Out and Play: Youth Sports in America. (2008). [Report].
Additional Electronic Publications
- Miller W, Simon P, Maleque S. 2009. Beyond
Health Care: New Directions to a Healthier America—Recommendations
from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier
America. Princeton, NJ: Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation. [Report]. A chapter is devoted to increasing children's
opportunities for daily physical activity.
- National Institute for Health Care
Management Foundation. 2008. Prevention
of Adult Cardiovascular Disease Among Adolescents: Focusing on
Risk Factor Reduction. Washington, DC: National Institute for
Health Care Management Foundation. [Report].
- Office of the Surgeon
General. 2010. The
Surgeon General’s Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation.
Rockville, MD: Department of Health
and Human Services (DHHS). [Report, Fact
sheet].
- Suitor CW, Kraak VI. 2007. Adequacy
of Evidence for Physical Activity Guidelines Development: Workshop
Summary. Washington, DC: National
Academies Press. [Report].
- Tucker
Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport. 2007. Developing
Physically Active Girls: An Evidence-based Multidisciplinary Approach.
Minneapolis, MN: Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women
in Sport. [Report].
- White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity. 2010. Solving
the Problem of Childhood Obesity Within a Generation: Report to
the President. Washington, DC: Executive Office of the President
of the United States. [Report].
See the following set of MCH Library resource briefs to identify additional data and statistics, literature and research, and programs about physical activity.
- Maternal and Child Health Data and Statistics
- Maternal and Child Health Literature and Research Databases
- Maternal and Child Health Programs Databases
Electronic Newsletters and Online Discussion Groups
- National
Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).
Offers NASPE-Talk,
a collection of electronic discussion groups on physical education
topics. Also offers NASPE-Forum,
a moderated electronic discussion forum for in-depth discussions
on topics of interest to physical education, sport, and physical
activity professionals.
- National Coalition
for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA). Publishes two
newsletters. NCPPA
News is published twice each month and contains news about
research, reports, funding opportunities, and upcoming events
on physical activity. NCPPA’s public affairs newsletter,
the Activity
Advocate, is published 10 times a year and covers federal
and state legislative activity concerning physical activity.
- University
of South Carolina Prevention Research Center. Offers
an electronic newsletter with information about research, training
opportunities, and resources regarding physical activity and
public health. Also offers a listserv to advance public health
approaches to promoting physical activity by creating a national
network of public health practitioners, researchers, and interested
others.
- Also see the CDC’s
Healthy Community Design News Listserv and the National
Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD) News.
- See the MCH Library family resource brief Physical
Activity and Kids and Teens.
Resources for Schools
- See the MCH Library school resource brief Physical
Activity and Physical Education.
Resources on Specific Aspects of Physical Activity
- Active Living
by Design (ALBD). Presents program and conference
information, reports, promising strategies, and other resources
about creating healthy eating and active living environments.
Includes a collection of recommended publications, resources,
organizations, and tools from the major fields that are considered
the foundation of the active living movement. ALBD is a national
initiative supported by the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and located at the University
of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
- Active
Living Research (ALR). Offers program information,
research briefs, bibliographies, and other tools and resources
that examine how environments and policies influence active living
for children and their families. ALR is a national program of
the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation (RWJF). Resources include
Active Living Research Literature Database. Features journal article citations about the relationship between environment and policy and physical activity and obesity.
- Active
Living Resource Center (ALRC). Presents educational
materials and planning and implementation tools to help community
organizers make neighborhoods more bicycle and pedestrian friendly.
ALRC is located at the National Center for Bicycling and Walking
and operates with support from the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).
- Association
of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO): Smart Growth
Toolkit. Describes the components of smart growth,
including physical activity, and their importance to public health.
Gives case studies from communities around the country and links
to resources to help state and territorial health officials develop
model practices for their own communities.
- Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Designing and Building
Healthy Places. Offers program and conference information,
fact sheets, journal articles, a course curriculum, and links
to a wealth of resources about the interaction between people
and their environments. Topics include children’s
health and the built environment and physical
activity. Resources and initiatives include
Active Environments. Presents program information and resources to encourage environmental and policy interventions that will affect increased levels of physical activity and improved public health by promoting walking, bicycling, and the development of accessible recreation facilities.
Health Impact Assessment (HIA). Presents links to a wealth of tools to evaluate the potential health effects of a project or policy before it is built or implemented.
Healthy Community Design News Listserv. This electronic discussion group addresses issues related to health and the built environment. An electronic newsletter that includes news articles, research, and updates on conferences and events related to livability is sent to all subscribers once a month.
Also see CDC’s Healthy Youth! and the Guide to Community Preventive Services.
- Leadership
for Healthy Communities: Active Living. Presents a collection
of materials and tools for promoting physical activity, smart
growth, and healthy community design among state and local government
leaders. Leadership for Healthy Communities is a national program
of the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation (RWJF).
- National
Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL): Healthy Community Design
and Access to Healthy Food Legislation Database. Describes
state legislation that seeks to increase access to healthy food
and opportunities for physical activity. Search for legislation
by state, topic area (e.g., Bike/Pedestrian, Physical Activity),
year, bill type, bill status, and bill number.
- Pedestrian and Bicycle
Information Center. Presents a wealth of information
and training tools about health and safety, engineering, advocacy,
education, enforcement, access, and mobility as it relates to
increasing and improving spaces for safe walking and bicycling
as a viable means of transportation and physical activity. The
center is funded by the Department of Transportation Federal
Highway Administration.
- California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
(CPEHN). 2009. Unlocking
the Playground: Achieving Equity in Physical Activity Spaces.
Oakland, CA: California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN). [Report].
- Committee on Environmental Health. 2009. Built
Environment: Designing Communities to Promote Physical Activity
in Children. Elk Grove Village, IL: American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). [Policy statement].
- Lee V, Mikkelsen L, Srikantharajah J, Cohen L. 2008. Strategies
for Enhancing the Built Environment to Support Healthy Eating and
Active Living. Oakland, CA: Healthy
Eating Active Living Convergence Partnership. [Policy brief].
- National Policy and Legal
Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN). 2010. Complete
the Streets! Using Street Design to Create Healthier Communities.
Oakland, CA: Public Health Law
and Policy (PHLP). [Webinar, Fact
sheet, Model
comprehensive plan language, Model
laws and resolutions].
- Ogilvie RS, Zimmerman J. 2010. Opening
School Grounds to the Community After Hours: A Toolkit for Increasing
Physical Activity Through Joint Use Agreements. Oakland, CA: Public
Health Law and Policy (PHLP). [Toolkit].
- Disabled Sports
USA. Contains program information for this national network
of community-based chapters offering a variety of sports rehabilitation
and recreation programs to anyone with a permanent disability.
- National Center on
Accessibility (NCA). Presents a webinar series,
technical reports, educational materials, articles, product listings,
and program information for consumers; health professionals;
and the parks, recreation, and tourism industries about recreation-related
accessibility issues for people with disabilities. NCA is part
of Indiana University's School of Health, Physical Education,
and Recreation.
- National
Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD). Offers
resources about physical activity and disability that include
an electronic
newsletter and fact sheets about activities, games, camps,
recreational pursuits, and sports that have been adapted to the
needs of people with disabilities. NCPAD is located at the University
of Illinois at Chicago.
- Special
Olympics International (SOI). Contains program and event
information for year-round sports training and athletic competitions
for children, adolescents, and adults with intellectual disabilities.
Includes sports rules, program guides, coaching guides, articles,
and a program
locator. Special Olympics serves more than 2.5 million individuals
with intellectual disabilities in more than 120 countries.
- Popper B, Irish S, Dworetzky B, Anderson B, Minihan P, Must A.
2008. Family
Matters: Promoting Health and Wellness for Children with Special
Heath Care Needs—Family Booklet. Albuquerque, NM: Family
Voices.
- Also see the Physical Activity Guidelines
for Americans and BAM! Body and Mind.
- Community Services Locator: An Online Directory for Finding Community Services for Children and Families knowledge path
- Nutrition in Children and Adolescents knowledge path, family resource brief, school resource brief
- Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents knowledge path, family resource brief, school resource brief
Physical Activity and Children and Adolescents: Knowledge Path, 5th
ed. (March 2010). (Updated: February 2012).
Author: Susan Brune Lorenzo, M.L.S., MCH Library.
Reviewers: Cicley Gay, Women's Sports Foundation; Olivia K. Pickett,
M.A., M.L.S., MCH Library.
Editor: Ruth Barzel, M.A., MCH Library.
