Physical Activity Opportunity in United States Public Elementary Schools

Physical Activity Journal of Research ©2009 by the ICHPER•SD Volume IV, No. 2, pp. 6-9

Physical Activity Opportunity in United States Public Elementary Schools by Lisa Beaulieu, Stephen A. Butterfield and Phillip Pratt Recent evidence indicates that many elementary schools have curtailed recess and Physical Education (Morrow, Jackson & Payne 1999). These finding are at variance with the goal of Healthy People 2010 to increase physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine physical activity opportunities (PAO) in U.S. public elementary schools. Survey data obtained from the National Center for Education Statistics were analyzed using within grade (1-5 or 6) between group comparisons. Key findings included: a) PAO decreased from 222 to 204 minutes/week for grades 1 to 5; b) schools with smaller enrollments (