Importance of Physical Education in Adolescents Essay

Introduction of the Topic In many schools around the world, there is an inadequate physical activity for students that pose a serious public health problem. Regular activity sustained over several years contributes to weight control and protection from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases (ACSM 1998). The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) system provides the most complete information regarding physical ability habits of adolescents and young people. Using this system, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) track six youth behavior, which includes physical activity. Preliminary results from the 2001 YRBS survey (MSBE in press) indicate that 85 percent of adolescents in a certain state in the United States performed some vigorous activity at one day a week for 20 minutes, but only 27 percent indicated five or more days of moderate activity. While this study comes from only one state, the same result of physical activity levels has also been observed in national averages. This shortage of physical activity among adolescents in the U. S. was attributed to an excess of sedentary behavior. In a certain survey, an astounding 53 percent of the students surveyed reported watching two or more hours of television on a typical school night. Of those, 15 percent watched four or more hours. Such survey significantly proves no difference from other American children in their television viewing habits (MSBE in press). Physical education class is where students should be learning the necessary knowledge and skills to be physically active, yet physical education is not available to students as fully as it should be. In 2001, (MSBE 2001) published a data that majority of elementary schools in the U. S. offer physical education classes for an average of two days per week, for an average of 60 minutes per week. Half of middle school students receive physical education five days per week, for an average of 48 minutes per week for than 25 weeks during the school year. The other half unfortunately receives far less than that. According to (MSBE 2001), only 29 percent of high school students reported having daily physical education classes. In the U. S. , 29 percent of adolescents in grades 9-12 participated in daily physical education in 1999 as compared with 42 percent in 1991 (14). Participation in organized sports provides another opportunity for physical activity. MSBE (2001) found that 61 percent of 9-12 graders in Michigan reported playing on one or more sports teams. MSBE (2001) added that African-American and Hispanic high school students were less likely with 48 percent compared to Caucasians with 52 percent to play on sports teams. Despite several studies showing that most youth perform some vigorous activities, there are still a significant number of adolescents who do not participate in any regular physical activity. Their reasons include the unavailability of physical education classes, limited spots on school-sponsored teams, and the lack of resources for communities in providing recreational teams. Others, on the contrary, may choose not to participate regardless of the availability of the opportunities. Not considering the causes, it is still important to initiate efforts of getting non-participants involved in some form of physical activity in keeping them from becoming sedentary on a permanent basis. A couple of studies indicate that a total of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity performed most days of the week has a significant impact on prevention of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases (Pate et al. 1995). Provision of the proper instruction, encouragement, and motivation, such numbers is attainable by the majority of children and youth in the U. S. Background of the Topic Health care professionals have long understood the importance of physical activity in children. Traditionally, exercise has been prescribed as part of the treatment for children suffering from chronic diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, and insulin-dependent diabetes (Nixon et al.1992; Rowland 1990). Regular physical activity, in many cases, has the potential to reduce both morbidity and mortality among these youngsters (Rowland 1990). Studies of health children’s exercise habits and physical fitness in the U. S. initially focused on judging muscular strength, speed, and power. In the 1950s, interest surged when researchers found that American children were less fit compared to European children, as measured by tests done by (Kraus and Hirschland 1954). These results expectedly shocked many Americans and thus prompted the formation of the President’s Council on Youth Fitness in 1956 (later became as President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports). From then on, the American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation developed a youth fitness test battery primarily designed to measure general motor performance skills such as power, speed, and agility (AAHPER 1958). More recently, testing in youth fitness has evolved into a more health-related format, superseding the emphasis on traditional motor skills (AAHPERD 1988). At the present time by far, there is no total agreement minimal criterion fitness standards, or even the question of whether physical fitness has declined significantly in recent years with regards to the majority of the youth (Blair 1992; Kuntzleman and Reiff 1992). There is, however, a consensus that children and adolescents should be involved in physical activity on a regular basis and systems of teaching/reward should encourage active participation and enjoyment by all students (Luepker 1999). Physical activity is recognized as the preventive measure for chronic disease. In view of this, Michigan issued a position statement in 1989 that emphasizes the importance of quality physical education programs in their schools during the 1990s (MAHPERD 1989s). Additionally, it was Michigan that initiated the state-wide project called Exemplary Physical Education Curriculum (EPEC). The EPEC was designed to be a public health initiative that addressed the crushing burden of chronic disease attributable to physical inactivity that would be carried out completely in the school setting. It has scientific grounding in chronic disease prevention, and uses state-of-the-art educational theory. More importantly, the EPEC curriculum equips students in understanding the importance of physical activity and in obtaining the fitness, knowledge, motor skills and personal/social skills they need to be active for life. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assumed leadership in a new approach during the 1990s. This new approach of CDC was aimed to increase physical activity among adolescents and adults. By then, it was highly emphasized that education about the importance of physical activity would be ineffective if the physical and social environments made it inconvenient or unsafe to exercise. The realization of this new approach was published in 1995 that describes a new role for states – promoting policy and environmental interventions in preventing and controlling cardiovascular disease – along with particular recommendations for environmental approaches to increasing physical activity (King et al. 1995). Scientific Basis Several recent studies show clearly that risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other chronic diseases are evident in childhood and adolescents (Freedman et al. 1997; Linder and DuRant 1982). Other studies also found to be related to children’s aerobic fitness and physical activity, or lack thereof (Craig et al. 1996; Tolfrey et al. 1999). Independent of nutritional habits, Dietz (1983) has found that physical inactivity has been shown to be a significant predictor and cause of obesity in children. Over the past 30 years, the prevalence of overweight among children in the U. S. has tripled. This increase in overweight resembles to a trend for sedentary activities such as computer games and stuff that replace recreational pursuits involving more physical activity (Bar-Or et al.1998; Freedman et al. 1997). Such sedentary behavior of the youth will likely be reinforced in view of the recent trends for computers in every home and classroom. Recently, a randomized trial aimed at reducing children’s television watching was designed in the hope of an increase in the adolescents’ physical activity and fitness levels (Robinson 1999). Notwithstanding the reduction of television watching time, Robinson’s study found no changes in activity and fitness. On the contrary, another study combined both an addition of physical activity and a reduction of sedentary behaviors in a weight reduction program for obese children (Epstein et al. 2000). It excluded the school-related sedentary activities (i. e. studying and homework) including only those performed during the youngsters’ leisure hours. The study found that both adding physical activity and at the same time reducing sedentary behaviors were effective in promoting weight loss and aerobic fitness in children. Family intervention approach in the treatment (not found in Robinson’s study) may have been the key component of the program. It is essential to remind that children with the lowest physical activity levels and highest percentage of body fatness are most likely to develop other risk factors for CVD, including elevated blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels (Tolfrey 1999). Nonetheless, it is encouraging to note somehow that adolescents’ lipoprotein profiles can be improved with physical activity and exercise interventions (Craig et al. 1996). In obese children, weight loss can occur and blood pressure can be lowered when physical activity is an integral part of treatment regimen (Roccini et al.1988). According to Fagot-Campagna et al. (2000), heaviest children are more likely to develop Type II diabetes compared to their leaner counterparts. Type II diabetes was seldom seen in youth prior to the dramatic increase in the number of overweight in youth in recent years. Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group (2002) published their research showing that modest weight loss and 150 minutes of physical activity per week could reduce the incidence of Type II diabetes in adults at high risk for the condition. While this study has not yet been replicated in children and adolescents, it significantly lends support for the urgency of helping the youth become physically active, most especially those with body weights that could place them at risk for diabetes. Some cardiovascular disease risk factors have the inclination to track over time (Marshall et al. 1998). That is, individuals will likely keep them through adulthood if they have risk factors as children. One concrete example is a follow-up of the Harvard growth study of 1922-1935 showing that being overweight during adolescence is a greater predictor of chronic disease development (i.e. cardiovascular disease, arthritis) compared to being overweight as an adult (Must et al. 1992). In the same way, (Taylor et al. 1999) found that sedentary lifestyle habits may be formed at a young age, and (Janz and Mahoney 1997) claimed the tendency of aerobic fitness and physical activity behaviors to track throughout childhood, and possibly into adulthood. Dennison et al. (1988) found that very inactive adolescents had the lowest aerobic fitness scores (measured by a 600-yard run) when they were youngsters. A longitudinal study in Finland showed that children who were most sedentary had the least favorable cardiovascular disease risk profile when they became adolescents (Raitakari et al. 1994). While the relationship between physical activity and fitness and their influence on cardiovascular disease risk is clear in adults, results from several studies shows that it is not known whether fitness or activity is the most important predictor for developing cardiovascular disease in adulthood (Pate and Ross 1987; Sallis 1993). Furthermore, there is no consensus on the question whether regular physical activity will result in considerable gains in aerobic fitness in children, specifically those who are adolescents (Morrow and Freedson 1994; Payne and Morrow 1993). Despite the existence of this relationship between fitness and physical activity in children, their associations are not strong based on studies of (Aaron et al. 1993; Morrow and Freedson 1994). Katzmarzyk et al (1998) explains that it is possible that large variability in children’s rates of growth and maturity make it difficult to correlate the fitness and activity variables. In addition, the lack of strong association between fitness and activity in children may be due in part to methodological problems. This is to say that, even though a number of valid and objective aerobic fitness tests have been developed, it is more difficult to quantitatively evaluate varying degrees of physical activity in young people (Freedson 1992; Pate 1993). In any event, in a review of cross-sectional studies designed to measure children’s activity levels, Sallis found that boys are approximately 23 percent more active than girls; boys’ activity levels decline 2. 7 percent per year, while girls’ decline 7. 4 percent per year (Sallis 1993). A major role that explains why children choose to be inactive is their poor self-efficacy for physical exercise. These young people believe that they cannot perform sports and exercises very well as they try to compare themselves to their peers. Self-efficacy emerged as a primary determinant of physical activity behavior that significantly varies with age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Self-efficacy is situation specific and its relationship with physical activity is often examined in relation to three components: efficacy for overcoming barriers to physical activity, efficacy for competing activities, and efficacy for support seeking. A number of research studies have shown that different aspects of self-efficacy correlate with physical activity or predict physical activity behavior in children of all ages (Allison et al. 1999; Trost et al. 1997; DiLorenzo et al. 1998). Self-efficacy, in near adolescence, appears to play its greatest role in physical activity behavior. (Pate et al. 1997; Trost et al. 1999) found that highly physically active fifth and sixth grade boys and girls have shown higher self-efficacy for overcoming barriers. More inactive children have shown less self-efficacy in overcoming barriers competing activities, and support seeking. As a matter of fact, self-efficacy for overcoming barriers is an essential predictor of physical activity in study of Trost et al. (1997) that includes mostly African-American population of fifth graders. Self-efficacy remains a strong predictor of physical activity through about ninth grade (Allison et al.1999). During the high school years of youngsters, it appears that girls begin to require more social influence in order to continue physical activity behaviors, while boys are still in need of enhanced self-efficacy (DiLorenzo et al. 1998). Due to the fact that social support appears to be an important contributor to physical activity behavior, more research should focus on this area. Nevertheless, both self-efficacy and social support are subject to parent and peer actions that need to be considered in physical activity interventions.

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