Abstract: Results of the Second National Children and Youth Fitness Study (NCYFS II), conducted by the Public Health Service in 1985, are examined in this series of research articles. Initial analyses of the data indicate that the physical fitness of children ages 6 to 9 is significantly associated with activity behaviors of the children and their parents, that children weight more and have more body fat than they did 20 years ago, and that only about one-third of early elementary students take daily physical education classes. Topics examined in the research articles include 1) project history and design, 2) study procedures and quality control methods, 3) sample design, 4) new health-related fitness norms, 5) changes in the body composition of children, 6) the status of physical education programs in grades 1 through 4, 7) the contribution of home and community to children's exercise habits, and 8) the association between selected school, community, and home physical activity factors and health-related fitn ess. Actions that may enhance the future fitness and physical activity habits of children are considered.

Physical fitness affects our ability to function and be active. At poor levels, it is associated with such health outcomes as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Physical fitness testing in American youth was established on a large scale in the 1950s with an early focus on performance-related fitness that gradually gave way to an emphasis on health-related fitness. Using appropriately selected measures to collected fitness data in youth will advance our understanding of how fitness among youth translates into better health. In Fitness Measures and Health Outcomes in Youth, the IOM assesses the relationship between youth fitness test items and health outcomes, recommends the best fitness test items, provides guidance for interpreting fitness scores, and provides an agenda for needed research. The report concludes that selected cardiorespiratory endurance, musculoskeletal fitness, and body composition measures should be in fitness surveys and in schools. Collecting fitness data nationally and in schools helps with setting and achieving fitness goals and priorities for public health at an individual and national level.

Physical inactivity is a key determinant of health across the lifespan. A lack of activity increases the risk of heart disease, colon and breast cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression and others diseases. Emerging literature has suggested that in terms of mortality, the global population health burden of physical inactivity approaches that of cigarette smoking. The prevalence and substantial disease risk associated with physical inactivity has been described as a pandemic. The prevalence, health impact, and evidence of changeability all have resulted in calls for action to increase physical activity across the lifespan. In response to the need to find ways to make physical activity a health priority for youth, the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment was formed. Its purpose was to review the current status of physical activity and physical education in the school environment, including before, during, and after school, and examine the influences of physical activity and physical education on the short and long term physical, cognitive and brain, and psychosocial health and development of children and adolescents. Educating the Student Body makes recommendations about approaches for strengthening and improving programs and policies for physical activity and physical education in the school environment. This report lays out a set of guiding principles to guide its work on these tasks. These included: recognizing the benefits of instilling life-long physical activity habits in children; the value of using systems thinking in improving physical activity and physical education in the school environment; the recognition of current disparities in opportunities and the need to achieve equity in physical activity and physical education; the importance of considering all types of school environments; the need to take into consideration the diversity of students as recommendations are developed. This report will be of interest to local and national policymakers, school officials, teachers, and the education community, researchers, professional organizations, and parents interested in physical activity, physical education, and health for school-aged children and adolescents.

`This is simply the physical education book of its time. The editors must be congratulated on bringing together so many quality authors from so many different parts of the world. As a handbook, it represents how far the study of physical education has moved forward in recent times. What we have is a clear portrayal of physical education at the start of the 21st century′ - Mike Jess, University of Edinburgh `This Handbook is a "must read" for all physical educators who are serious about understanding their subject and developing their practices. The list of authors involved reads like a "who′s who"′ of physical education at a global level - the editors are to be commended on bringing together such collective expertise - this is a key strength of the book. The Handbook successfully expresses a view of knowledge about physical education pedagogy which embraces different research traditions and emerging areas of interest across the global scholarly community′ - Jo Harris, Loughborough University `This comprehensive and eclectic exploration into the field of physical education draws on the vast expertise of its renowned international contributors with astounding results. The Handbook of Physical Education serves to firmly reinstate physical education to its position as the core discipline of sport and exercise science. The Handbook is destined to become an indispensable academic resource for scholars, students and enthusiasts of physical education for years to come′ - Pilvikki Heikinaro-Johansson, University of Jyväskylä What is the current condition of the field of physical education? How has it adapted to the rise of kinesiology, sport and exercise science and human movement studies over the last thirty years? This Handbook provides an authoritative critical overview of the field and identifies future challenges and directions. The Handbook is divided in to six parts: - Perspectives and Paradigms in Physical Education Pedagogy Research; - Cross-disciplinary Contributions to Research on Physical Education; - Learners and Learning in Physical Education; - Teachers, Teaching and Teacher Education in Physical Education; - Physical Education Curriculum; - Difference and Diversity in Physical Education. This benchmark work is essential reading for educators and students in the field of physical education.

Pediatric Exercise Medicine: From Physiologic Principles to Healthcare Application draws from the most current research activity in the area to examine physical activity as a prerequisite to the good health and physical performance of children. The book also considers the effects of lack of exercise on children and the relevance of exercise to clinical pediatrics for children with chronic diseases. While Pediatric Exercise Medicine: From Physiologic Principles to Healthcare Application emphasizes clinically related issues, it provides comprehensive coverage of the child-exercise-health triad of importance to all professionals serving young people. The text identifies current research in the area of pediatric exercise. It also helps the reader to compare the exercise responses of healthy children to the responses of children with clinical impairments. In turn, readers will recognize the factors that can influence children's activity behavior, trainability, and performance. The book contains three chapters related to the normal physiological and perceptual exercise responses of the healthy child. The next nine chapters consider the effects of exercise on children with clinical impairments, including asthma, diabetes, cerebral palsy, and obesity. A special feature is the coverage of children's trainability and the factors that can influence performance. The information, including environmental stressors on children, will be of interest to scholars and students as well as to coaches working in this area. The book also has these features: -Extensive graphic interpretation of the data--more than 250 illustrations -Helpful reference tables -Six appendixes on normative data, methods, energy-equivalent tables for different activities, scaling for body size, and a glossary of terms. In Pediatric Exercise Medicine: From Physiologic Principles to Healthcare Application, you'll find content you can apply in your daily work as a therapist, exercise scientist, physician, or other professional. You'll also find evidence-based rationale for the need for physical activity as a preventive measure and treatment of disease in children.

Provides information on the unique fitness concerns of women including advice for developing a sensible, injury-free exercise program.