Introduction

This knowledge path about physical activity and children and adolescents has been compiled by the Maternal and Child Health 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, educators, child care providers, community organizers, and families, and it will be updated periodically.

Related knowledge paths:
Nutrition in Children and Adolescents
Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents

Overview

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.

Resources for Professionals

Web Sites

• 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 (ACSM): Youth Sports and Health Resource Center. Presents information about this effort to promote child and adolescent health and fitness and combat overweight and obesity through research, education, and initiatives to increase safe and effective participation in sports and physical activity and reduce the risk and incidence of injury. Recent publications include
  
  Selected Issues for the Adolescent Athlete and the Team Physician: A Consensus Statement. (2008).
  
  
• 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
  
  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, Data and Surveillance: An Explanation of U.S. Physical Activity Surveys, Data2010: The Healthy People 2010 Database, 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 2010. Offers information about this national health-promotion and disease-prevention initiative that is coordinated by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP). The initiative addresses 467 objectives in 28 focus areas. Focus area 22 addresses physical activity and fitness, and it includes objectives for children and adolescents. See Data2010 for data about the objectives. See the HP2010 Information Access Project for access to published literature related to the objectives. Also view proposed Healthy People 2020 objectives for physical activity and fitness.
  
  
• 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. This report examines the sources of health shortfalls in the United States; describes successful community initiatives and state and federal program innovations to support healthier choices and health-promoting policies and environments; and recommends strategies for improving America’s health. Topics include healthy eating, physical activity, healthy environments and behaviors, starting healthy habits early, and healthy homes and communities. 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. This monograph examines the prevalence and risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and then explores promising strategies that health professionals and health plans can use to reduce adolescent risk factors for future CVD, such as encouraging adolescents to participate in physical activity.
  
  
• 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). This report describes the epidemic of overweight and obesity among children, adolescents, and adults in the United States and presents recommendations to address the problem through better nutrition and regular physical activity in communities, homes, child care settings, schools, work sites, and medical communities. A fact sheet accompanies the report.
  
  
• Suitor CW, Kraak VI. 2007. Adequacy of Evidence for Physical Activity Guidelines Development: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. This report summarizes a workshop of research scientists and physical activity practitioners who gathered to consider the evidence base for the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a comprehensive set of physical activity guidelines for Americans. Special consideration was given to the physical activity needs of children and adolescents, pregnant and postpartum women, older adults, and persons with disabilities.
  
  
• 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. This report examines the physiological, psychological, and sociological dimensions and impact of physical activity in the lives of girls and young women and makes recommendations for best practices, programs, and approaches.
  
  
• 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. This report describes the problem of child and adolescent obesity, recommends steps to address the problem, and outlines benchmarks of success. Recommendations focus on the early childhood period, empowering parents and caregivers, providing healthy food in schools, improving access to healthy, affordable foods, and increasing physical activity.
  

  

Databases

The databases listed below are excellent tools for identifying data, additional literature and research, and programs addressing physical activity. Many of the entries below contain tips on how to use the databases efficiently. Please note that databases vary in how terms should be entered; for example, some require quotation marks and others don't. Enter search phrases as shown in bold below.

Data

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): An 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. The following surveys are examined: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), and School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS).
  
  
• Child Trends DataBank. Reports on national trends and research on over 100 key indicators of infant, child, and adolescent well-being. Child Trends is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization providing research and data to inform decision-making that affects families. Recent analyses about physical activity and children and adolescents include
  
  Physical Inactivity in U.S. Adolescents: Family, Neighborhood, and Individual Factors. (2009).
  
  
• Data2010: The Healthy People 2010 Database. Contains the most recent monitoring data for tracking Healthy People 2010. To obtain physical activity data, click on the field, Data by Focus Area. Under the field, Select a Focus Area, choose 22-Physical Activity and Fitness from the pop-up menu. Click on the Submit button or use the other fields to narrow your search. This data set is provided by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) via CDC Wonder.
  
  
• KIDS COUNT Data Center. Contains information about this national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the United States. See the data profile, Children and Teens Not Exercising Regularly, which ranks by state the share of children and adolescents ages 6 to 17 who engaged in less than 5 days of vigorous physical activity in the past week. KIDS COUNT is a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF).
  
  
• Title V Information System (Title V IS). Contains data from annual Title V Block Grant applications and reports submitted by all 59 U.S. states and jurisdictions. To learn about states' efforts to address child and adolescent physical activity, conduct two searches. Select Measurement and Indicator Data and go to the State Data section. First, select State Priority Needs Keyword Search and choose Keyword: Nutrition/Physical Activity and Population: Children (1 through 21). Click on Start Search to get your results. Next, return to Measurement and Indicator Data and select State Performance Measures. Click on Search by Keyword/Population. Select Keyword: Nutrition/Physical Activity and Population: Children (1 through 21). Click on Start Search to get your results. Title V IS is a service of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
  

Literature and Research Databases

• AGRICOLA (AGRICultural OnLine Access). Contains bibliographic information for agricultural literature, including many child and adolescent nutrition publications from the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service; state child nutrition agencies; Nutrition Education and Training Program products; Team Nutrition grantees; cooperative extension program materials; and materials from associations, universities, and the private sector. AGRICOLA is organized into two data sets (books and journal articles). To identify books and/or articles on the topic, click on Keyword Search. Enter the terms, children adolescents and select "any of these" and "Subject" in the two fields to the right. Click "And". In the next row, enter fitness exercise and select "any of these" and "Subject" in the two fields to the right. Click on "Set Limits" to narrow your search (e.g., add a publication date limit). Use the thesaurus to identify terms for related searches. AGRICOLA is a service of the National Agricultural Library (NAL).
  
  
• ClinicalTrials.gov. Provides access to information about clinical research studies for a wide range of diseases, conditions, and health behaviors. Included are a summary of the purpose of the study, information about recruiting status, criteria for patient participation, location of the trial, and contact information. To identify studies, click on Search for Clinical Trials, enter the search phrase ("physical activity" OR exercise) AND (children OR adolescents), and click on Search. Click on the Refine Search tab to narrow your search results. ClinicalTrials.gov is a service of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
  
  
• Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE). Contains summaries of systematic reviews that have met strict quality criteria. Included reviews must be about the effects of interventions. Each summary also provides a critical commentary on the quality of the review. To identify reviews, enter the phrase, ("physical activity" OR exercise) AND (children OR adolescents) in the search box. Click on search to get your results. DARE is produced and maintained by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at the University of York.
  
  
• HP2010 Information Access Project: Physical Fitness. Provides an automatic search mechanism for published literature indexed in PubMed related to the Healthy People 2010 physical activity and fitness objectives. Also links to the narrative for each objective and the complete chapter about physical activity and fitness in the text, Healthy People 2010: Understanding and Improving Health (2nd ed) (2000). This service is provided by the Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce, a collaboration of federal agencies, public health organizations, and health sciences libraries.
  
  
• Maternal and Child Health Library at the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH), Georgetown University. Maintains several databases to collect, manage, and disseminate knowledge about maternal and child health (MCH), with special emphasis on knowledge gained from initiatives and programs supported by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). The library’s bibliographic database is
  
  MCHLine®. Comprises an online catalog of materials in the Maternal and Child Health Library. To identify items about physical activity, conduct three searches in the keyword field of the database search form using the terms "physical activity", "physical education", and "physical fitness". To narrow your searches, enter a single publication year or range of years, and/or add keywords (e.g., obesity, school). There will be overlap in the records identified in these searches.
  
  Also see the MCH Organizations Database.
  
  
• National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC). Contains evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and related materials for health professionals. Identify guidelines by selecting Detailed Search in the Search box. Enter "physical activity" in the Keyword field. Scroll down on the search form to select Age of Target Population and Publication Date. The database is an initiative of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
  
  
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool (RePORT): RePORTER. Provides access to reports, data, and analyses of NIH research activities, including information on NIH expenditures and the results of NIH-supported research. To identify information on the topic, conduct two searches. First, enter "physical activity" children in the search field and click on Submit query to get your results. Conduct a second search by entering "physical activity" adolescents in the search field and clicking on Submit query to get your results. There will be overlap in the records identified in these searches. Narrow your searches by selecting a state or adding terms to other search fields.
  
  
• PubMed. Contains more than 19 million citations for biomedical articles from MEDLINE and life science journals. Citations may include links to full-text articles from PubMed Central or publisher web sites. To identify citations on the topic, enter the term exercise in the search box. Click on Limits and make the following selections on the page: select a date (e.g. Published in the last 2 years); click on Languages: English; Click on Species: Humans; Click on Ages: All Child: 0-18 years; and select Search Field Tags: MeSH Major Topic. Add search terms to further limit the search (e.g., exercise AND environment design). Use the MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) database to identify additional search terms (e.g., physical education). PubMed is a service of the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Also see the HP2010 Information Access Project for access to published literature related to the Healthy People 2010 objectives about physical activity and children and adolescents.
  
  
• Also see the Active Living Research Literature Database, the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Database, and the NSBA School Health Resource Database.
  

Programs Databases

• Community Pediatrics Grants Database. Comprises an archive of community pediatrics grant projects. Identify projects by selecting Physical Activity in the Topic field. Click on Basic Submit to get your results. The database is a service of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
  
  
• Discretionary Grant Information System (DGIS). Contains information for more than 900 grants issued by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). To identify grants, select Abstracts. Type physical activity in the search field. Click on Search to get your results. To find products and publications produced by MCHB training grantees, select Program Data, Training, and Search Products and Publications. Type physical activity in the search field, and click on Search to get your results.
  
  
• Health Services Research Projects in Progress (HSRProj). Provides information about ongoing health services research and public health projects. To identify projects, enter ("physical activity" OR exercise) AND (children OR adolescents) in the search box. Click on Search to get your results. HSRProj is funded by the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
  
  
• MCH Organizations Database. Lists over 2,000 government, professional, and voluntary organizations involved in MCH activities, primarily at a national level. Find organizations focusing on the topic by conducting three searches in the database using the terms, "physical activity", "physical education", and "physical fitness" in the keyword field of the database search form. There will be overlap in the records identified in these searches.
  
  
• National Association of Counties: Healthy Counties Database. Presents information about model policies, programs, and initiatives that counties nationwide have enacted to promote nutritious diets, physical activity, and healthy built and social environments. Search by county size, state, issue area (e.g., Physical Activity), best practice type, and keyword.
  
  
• Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity State Legislative Database. Contains summaries of state legislative bills related to nutrition, physical activity, and obesity from 2001 to the present. Select Physical Activity in the Subject field, and select a state or topic to narrow your search. Click on Search to get your results. Links are provided to each state legislature site where the full-text version of the bill is available. This database is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
  
  
• Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease: Promising Practices. Presents information about public and private programs from across the country that have proven successful in improving health and health behaviors and reducing the burden of disease. To identify programs, look under Find Programs and click on Physical Activity/Fitness under Select a Health Topic. Click on Go to get your results. This resource is based on Keeping America Healthy: A Catalog of Successful Programs (2008). Additional materials accompany the report.
  
  
• Prevention Research Centers (PRC). Presents information about projects that focus on the prevention and control of chronic diseases and a wide range of additional public health issues. To identify projects, go to the search form. Select Nutrition and physical activity for youth under the field, Health Topics. Click on Search to get your results. The PRCs and this database are funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
  
  
• Shaping America’s Youth (SAY) Program Registry. Includes information on intervention programs throughout the United States that are working to improve physical activity and/or nutrition in children and adolescents. Search by program name, keyword, organization, state, and category (e.g., programs addressing physical activity). SAY is a public/private partnership committed to improving physical activity and nutrition in American infants, children, and adolescents.
  
  
• Also see Action for Healthy Kids, the NCSL Healthy Community Design and Access to Healthy Food Legislation Database, and the NASBE State School Health Policy Database.
  

  

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 Action for Healthy Kids, the CDC’s Healthy Community Design News Listserv, and the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD) News.
  

  

Resources for Families

• BAM! Body and Mind: Physical Activity. An interactive Web site for kids and teens to motivate them to be more active. Create your own fitness and activity calendar, check out activity cards to learn about a wide range of sports and activities, and read articles about overcoming physical challenges.
  
  
• Best Bones Forever! Information for parents and girls ages 9–14 about building and maintaining strong bones with good nutrition and physical activity.
  
  
• Bright Futures for Women’s Health and Wellness. Tools for women who want to improve the health of their communities by helping people become more active and eat healthier foods. Materials include checklists, sample letters, timelines, fliers, posters, news releases, and public service announcements, as well as many tips and suggestions for planning a successful program. Several items target young women and women living in rural areas.
  
  
• Eat Smart. Play Hard. Information and promotion materials for this national campaign to encourage kids and families to eat healthy foods and be active.
  
  
• girlshealth.gov: Fitness. Information for girls ages 10 to 16 about the benefits of physical activity and tips for developing an exercise plan.
  
  
• Kidnetic.com. Games about healthy eating and physical activity for kids ages 9 to 12. Articles in English and Spanish for parents about kids and nutrition, physical activity, and self-esteem.
  
  
• KidsHealth. Articles in English and Spanish for parents, teens, and kids about fitness and physical activity. Topics include fitness for kids in various age groups, fitness for kids who don't like sports, preventing kids’ sports injuries, steroids, and strength training.
  
  
• Let's Move. Tools for families, schools, and communities to help kids be more active, eat better, and get healthy. The Kids' Collection features activity books, games, videos, posters, and materials for teens.
  
  
• MyPyramid Tracker. An online tool to assess diet and physical activity that provides information on a person's diet quality and physical activity status, related nutrition messages, and links to nutrient and physical activity information. MyPyramid for Kids is designed for kids ages 6 to 11 and features posters, tips for parents, classroom materials, and an interactive computer game where kids can reach Planet Power by fueling their rocket with food and physical activity.
  
  
• Physical Activity for Everyone. Answers the questions, How much physical activity do children need? and How can we make physical activity a part of a child’s life?
  
  
• President’s Challenge. A 6-week physical activity challenge for kids, teens, adults, and seniors. Get active and track activity to earn an award for reaching your goal. Join as an individual, as a family, or as a group of friends.
  
  
• Shape Up America! Tips for Family Fitness Fun. Presents ideas in English and Spanish for parents to use to help kids and teens become healthier and more active.
  
  
• Small Step. Information in English and Spanish to help adults and teens improve their health through small changes in nutrition and physical activity. Includes an activity tracker to keep track of physical activities and goals. Smallstep KIDS! presents games and activities to help kids make smart food choices and be more active.
  
  
• We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition). Tips, activity ideas, and tools to help parents and caregivers help their kids and teens ages 8–13 achieve and maintain a healthy weight by focusing on better food choices, increased physical activity, and less time spent watching TV or playing computer or video games.
  
  
• Also see the the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS).
  
  
• Note: Many of the resources presented in the following section, Resources on Specific Aspects of Physical Activity, contain information for families.
  

  

Resources on Specific Aspects of Physical Activity

Child Care and Early Childhood Education

• National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC): Fit Source. Presents a set of links to resources for child care and after-school-program professionals to help them incorporate physical activity and nutrition into their programs. Resources include activity and game ideas, curricula, and lesson plans.
  
  
• WIC Works Resource System: Physical Activity. Links to resources about physical activity for infants and children up to age 5. Also see Food and Fun for Families: Active Play for lesson plans and educational materials about physical activity developed by state programs involved in the Fit WIC obesity-prevention initiative. WIC Works presents resources for health and nutrition professionals serving in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). These resources are useful for child care and early childhood education professionals too.
  
  
• Also see the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Database.
  

  

Community Design

• 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). This report describes models for joint-use agreements between schools and communities for sharing spaces to keep people active and healthy.
  
  
• Committee on Environmental Health. 2009. Built Environment: Designing Communities to Promote Physical Activity in Children. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). This policy statement describes the relationship between the built environment and physical activity in children and makes recommendations for pediatricians and governments to promote environments that encourage more active lifestyles.
  
  
• 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. This policy brief outlines organizational practices and public policies being considered to improve the built environment in support of healthy eating and regular physical activity.
  
  
• 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). This webinar describes Complete Streets, an initiative to help communities change how streets are designed and built so that residents of all ages and abilities can travel easily and safely along community streets, whether they are walking, biking, or riding the bus. The webinar also contains an advocacy success story from Columbia, MO. NPLAN's fact sheet, model comprehensive plan language, and model laws and resolutions for advocates and community members complement the webinar.
  
  
• 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). This toolkit is designed to help communities and school districts work together to develop joint use agreements to increase access to recreational facilities on school grounds.
  

  

School-Based Physical Activity

• Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK). Offers program information and tools, reports, fact sheets, and an electronic newsletter to help support positive changes in child and adolescent nutrition and physical activity in the school environment. AFHK receives guidance and direction from more than 65 national organizations and government agencies representing education, health, physical activity, and nutrition. Resources and initiatives include
  
  Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge. Presents a toolkit with instructions for schools to help students and their families learn to eat healthy and be active every day.
  
  Lessons for Engaging Diverse Communities to Create Healthy Schools and Kids. (2009). [Report].
  
  Progress or Promises? What’s Working For and Against Healthy Schools. (2008). [Report].
  
  ReCharge! Energizing After-School. Offers a program kit to help students in grades 2 to 6 learn about and practice good nutrition and physical activity habits. ReCharge is a collaborative effort between AFHK and the National Football League.
  
  School Programs. Presents information about nationally developed, evidence-based nutrition and physical activity programs for before, during, and after school.
  
  Students Taking Charge. Presents information, a blog, and communication opportunities for students to share ideas and plan projects about eating right, being active, living healthy, and making their schools healthier.
  
  Wellness Policy Tool. Presents an online tool for developing, implementing, and evaluating a school wellness policy that meets a local school district’s unique goals for nutrition and physical activity.
  
  
• Alliance for a Healthier Generation: Healthy Schools Program. Offers tools, tips, and resources to implement this program aimed at preventing childhood obesity by encouraging healthy behaviors among students and adults in schools. The program includes a component to increase opportunities for students to exercise and play. The alliance is a joint effort of the American Heart Association (AHA) and the William J. Clinton Foundation.
  
  
• American Heart Association (AHA): Children and Exercise. Offers encyclopedia entries and position statements about the importance of physical activity for children and adolescents. Presents program information for school-based physical activity programs supported by AHA: NFL Play 60 Challenge, empowerME, Jump Rope for Heart, Hoops for Heart, HeartPower, and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Also presents resources for policymakers about the importance of physical education in schools.
  
  
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Healthy Youth! Physical Activity. Contains school health policies and programs; data; science-based strategies; and brochures for parents, teachers, and principals about physical activity and children and adolescents. Resources and initiatives include
  
  KidsWalk-to-School. Contains information and materials for this community-based program that aims to increase opportunities for daily physical activity by encouraging children to walk to and from school in groups accompanied by adults.
  
  School Health Index. Contains a self-assessment and planning tool that schools can use to improve their health and safety policies and programs including those relevant to physical education and activity.
  
  Youth Physical Activity Guidelines Toolkit. (2009). The materials highlight strategies that schools, families, and communities can use to support physical activity among youth. Includes fact sheets, a poster, user guide, and customizable PowerPoint presentations.
  
  Also see CDC’s Tobacco-Free Sports Initiatives.
  
  
• Department of Education (ED): Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP). Presents information about this grant program for local educational agencies and community-based organizations to initiate, expand, or improve physical education programs, including after-school programs, for children and adolescents.
  
  
• Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Database. Covers all aspects of education-related issues through journal articles, research reports, teaching guides, curricula, conference papers, and books. Search the database to identify many items about physical activity and children and adolescents. Select Advanced Search. Next to Search for: choose Descriptors (from Thesaurus) and enter the term, "physical activities" OR "physical education" OR exercise in the box next to it. Scroll down on the search form to select publication date, publication type, and/or education level. To narrow your search further or for additional searches, use the ERIC Thesaurus to identify terms. ERIC is the information database of the Department of Education (ED).
  
  
• Leadership for Healthy Communities: Schools. Presents a collection of materials and tools to promote better nutrition and more physical activity in schools. Leadership for Healthy Communities is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Recent publications about physical activity include
  
  Local School Wellness Policies: How Are Schools Implementing the Congressional Mandate? (2009). [Policy Brief].
  
  
• Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active!. Offers a Web-based health-promotion program designed to help young adolescents (ages 11 to 13) become aware of how media may influence their nutrition and physical activity choices. This after-school program was developed by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
  
  
• National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE): State School Health Policy Database. Comprises a collection of state laws and policies in key areas of school health. Click on View by Topic. Scan the categories in the left sidebar and choose a topic (e.g., Physical Education, Requirements for Physical Educators, Requirements for Athletic Coaches, Physical Activity Other Than Physical Education, Playground/Facility Safety).
  
  
• National School Boards Association (NSBA): School Health Resource Database. Comprises an online catalog of sample policies, articles, and training tools that address the many health issues facing local school districts. Search the database by selecting Physical Activity from the list of topics. NSBA also offers Physical Activity 101, an information packet with data on physical activity levels among adolescents, recommended guidelines for physical activity, and policies that promote high-quality, lifelong patterns of physical activity and wellness.
  
  
• PE Central. Provides lesson and assessment ideas and instructional resources for health and physical education teachers and parents to help children and adolescents become more physically active. PE Central was developed by faculty and doctoral students in Virginia Tech’s Health and Physical Education Program.
  
  
• Safe Routes to School (SRTS) National Partnership. Offers research highlights, advocacy tools, and reports to promote the practice of safe bicycling and walking to and from schools to increase physical activity, reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and enhance neighborhood safety. The SRTS National Partnership is a network of more than 400 organizations, government agencies, schools, and professionals. Recent publications include
  
  Establishing a Safe Routes to School State Network. (2008). [Guide].
  
  Safe Routes to School: Increases Physical Activity and Improves Health. (2008). [Report].
  
  Safe Routes to School State Network Project: 2007–2009 Final Report. (2009).
  
  State Level Policies that Influence Safe Routes to School. (2008). [Policy brief].
  
  
• American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association. 2008. Learning for Life: Physical Education in Schools. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society; Alexandria, VA: American Diabetes Association; Dallas, TX: American Heart Association. This fact sheet briefly describes the health consequences of a sedentary lifestyle, the benefits of physical activity for children, and an action plan for physical education in schools.
  
  
• Chriqui JF, Schneider L, Chaloupka FJ, Ide K, Pugach O. 2009. Local Wellness Policies: Assessing School District Strategies for Improving Children’s Health. School Years 2006–07 and 2007–08. Chicago, IL: Bridging the Gap. This report examines school district wellness policies that have significant potential for improving school nutrition and physical activity environments. The wellness policies are a federal requirement for school districts participating in the National School Lunch Program or other child nutrition programs.
  
  
• McMillan TE. 2009. Walking and Biking to School, Physical Activity and Health Outcomes. San Diego, CA: Active Living Research. This brief summarizes research on active transport to school, physical activity levels, and health outcomes. It also explores the factors that influence walking and biking to school, including the impact of SRTS programs.
  
  
• National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (NANA). 2005. Model School Wellness Policies. Washington, DC: National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (NANA). This comprehensive set of model nutrition and physical activity policies is intended to provide guidance to local school districts on meeting the federal requirements of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. Topics include physical activity and physical education. Sixty health, nutrition, physical activity, and education organizations assisted with or supported the development of these model school-wellness policies.
  
  
• Trost SG. 2009. Active Education: Physical Education, Physical Activity and Academic Performance. San Diego, CA: Active Living Research. This brief summarizes evidence about the relationship between physical activity and academic performance among children and adolescents.
  
  
• Also see the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Girls on the Run (GOTR), the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS), the Women’s Sports Foundation, and MyPyramid Tracker.
  

  

Special Health Care Needs

• 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. This booklet presents guidelines, tips, and resources on healthy eating, physical activity, and limiting screen time. Also available in Spanish.
  
  
• Also see the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and BAM! Body and Mind.
  

  

Physical Activity and Children and Adolescents: Knowledge Path, 5th ed. (March 2010). (Updated: May 2010).
Author: Susan Brune Lorenzo, M.L.S., Maternal and Child Health Library.
Reviewers: Cicley Gay, Women's Sports Foundation; Olivia K. Pickett, M.A., M.L.S., Maternal and Child Health Library.