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Physical Activity and Children and Adolescents
Knowledge Path

December 2009

Draft

Table of Contents

Introduction

Overview

Resources for Professionals

Resources for Families

Resources on Specific Aspects of Physical Activity

Please provide feedback on this knowledge path.

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

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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.

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Resources for Professionals

Web Sites

Additional Electronic Publications

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
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

Electronic Newsletters and Online Discussion Groups

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.

  • 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.

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Resources on Specific Aspects of Physical Activity

Child Care and Early Childhood Education

Community Design

School-Based Physical Activity

Special Health Care Needs

Author: Susan Brune Lorenzo, M.L.S., Maternal and Child Health Library.
Reviewers: Olivia K. Pickett, M.A., M.L.S., Maternal and Child Health Library; [ADD REVIEWER NAMES]