Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Philip Paterno
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
adolescents, average daily step counts, cardiovascular fitness, contact hours, daily step counts, experimental population, fitness levels, habitual physical activity, in-school physical activity, knowledge of results, middle school students, mile run, pedometers, physical activity habits, physical activity levels, physical education, physical fitness, questionnaires, school day, self report questionnaires, seven-day recall, standardized fitness test, timed mile run
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to collect and analyze data relating to the interaction of physical activity levels and physical fitness in middle school students. The primary focus was to increase physical activity and improve fitness levels of middle school students.
The frequency of physical education classes for middle school students was increased from a less to a more consistent regimen. Physical fitness levels measured by a standardized fitness test were compared from data collected during both regimens to determine if an increase in the frequency of classes would relate to increased fitness levels. A pedometer program was developed to gather data regarding the average daily step counts accumulated by preand early adolescents during the typical school day. Physical activity levels as reported by daily step counts were compared to the cardiovascular fitness measured by the timed mile run. This study also focused on whether the use of pedometers and the knowledge of results related to an increase in physical fitness. In addition, data was collected from seven-day recall physical activity self report questionnaires to determine the general physical activity habits of the experimental population. This data was compared to the pedometer counts from the same time period to determine if there was a relationship between habitual physical activity and in-school physical activity.
An analysis of the data revealed that an increase of contact hours in physical education related to an increase in overall physical fitness and cardiovascular fitness. However, analysis revealed that neither the use of pedometers, nor the knowledge of results related to an increase in physical fitness as measured by decreased personal best mile times. Further analysis revealed a low-to-moderate relationship between habitual physical activity and in-school physical activity, and between habitual physical activity and cardiovascular fitness.