Austin, Texas — Legislation mandating physical education (PE) in elementary schools is not curbing the obesity epidemic, according to a new study by public policy researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Iowa.
Between 1998 and 2016, 24 states and the District of Columbia passed laws aimed at requiring or encouraging time for elementary school students to spend in PE or PA (physical activities) in schools. Two-thirds of her in these states now require or at least recommend 150 minutes of PE or PA per week. This is the amount approved by medical authorities. Many state laws, including the 2005 Texas law mandating 135 minutes of physical activity per week, were aimed at reducing obesity in elementary school children.
Researchers found that schools largely ignored state laws and didn’t actually increase the amount of time elementary students spent on physical education and rest. Compared to states that did not change the law, states that passed the increase did not see a decrease in child body mass index, prevalence of overweight, or prevalence of obesity.
“Schools need to be monitored more closely to improve compliance with state PE laws,” said co-author Paul von Hippel, professor of LBJ Public Affairs School at UT Austin, who co-authored the study. increase. “However, we estimate that even with improved compliance, physical education classes do not burn enough calories to have a noticeable effect on obesity. At least, not as they currently do.”
Von Hippel, along with David Frisvold, director of social and education policy studies at the University of Iowa Center for Public Policy, published a study of Milbank Quarterly, Peer-reviewed medical journal covering health policy.
Researchers say schools need to increase exercise intensity to increase the calories burned in physical education. For example, adopting a physical education curriculum allows children to spend less time sitting and standing and more time being active as they dress, receive instruction, and queue.
However, even at higher intensities, it is unlikely that PE will be sufficient to reverse the obesity epidemic.
“Like adults, children cannot outrun bad diets,” von Hippel said. “Policies should address food and drink consumption outside of school as well as inside.”
This study compared changes in primary school student outcomes (PE time, rest time, obesity, and overweight) to changes in state law in a nationally representative sample. The total sample size was her 13,920 children in her 3,000 schools from two different cohorts of elementary school children. One cohort she attended kindergarten in 1998. She went to kindergarten in 2010. Both cohorts were followed from kindergarten through her fifth grade. The researchers estimated the impact of changes to state law in regression with fixed effects of state and year.
Researchers were surprised that state laws did little to increase time spent in physical education or rest. However, they pointed to several potential ways to improve school compliance with state laws governing PE and PA hours. States may consider providing model schedules, or at least providing clearer guidance on which activities can be reduced to allow more time for PE and breaks. The state may require schools to submit schedules and ensure they are providing sufficient PE and PA hours. The study authors say this could become easier as more schools adopt scheduling software that allows schedules to be downloaded and reported in a standard format.
However, weight management is not the only reason children are physically active. Studies show that regular, moderate to vigorous PA has a wide range of physical, emotional, cognitive, and social benefits.
