Evaluation of Boston’s Active School Day Policy Interventions

Kids jumping rope in PE classThe HPRC partnered with the Boston Public Schools and the Boston Public Health Commission to evaluate the impact of the Boston Public Schools’ efforts to increase and improve physical education (PE) and physical activity in schools.

Active School Day policy implementation provided equipment, curricular materials, and training to physical educators and school wellness champions to promote 150 weekly minutes of quality physical education, recess, and physical activity integrated into classrooms

The study took place in six elementary schools with three matched pairs in Boston, Massachusetts, between February and June 2011.

The quasi-experimental study tested the effectiveness of Active School Day policy Implementation on physical activity outcomes and estimated school-level implementation costs. It was found that Active School Day implementation increased student moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels by 24% and decreased sedentary time during school at modest cost.


Principal Investigator: Angie Cradock, ScD
Funder: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Active Living Research
Funding Dates: February 15, 2011 – August 14, 2012
Contact: Jessica Barrett


Peer-Reviewed Publication

Presentation

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