The H.Y.P.P.E. Initiative: A School-Based Physical Activity Promotion Program

Abstract

Physical activity promotion in schools is a critical component of adolescent health. The main purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a school-based program to increase the physical activity of 6th grade students. A total of 113 students in a large suburban public middle school participated in the 11 week study. A quasi-experimental design was used. Physical education (PE) classes served as the unit of randomization. Six PE classes were assigned to the control condition and six PE classes to the experimental condition. Control group students were asked to wear unsealed pedometers throughout the day in school and at home and to record their daily step-counts in school. Experimental group students also wore unsealed pedometers throughout the day and logged their daily step-counts in school, but additionally received a 10,000 step per day goal, were asked to attain an increased step-count goal during PE class, and received an enhanced PE curriculum. Pre- and post-test data were gathered for all dependent measures including average daily step-counts by week, GPA, attendance, tardiness, attitude and self-efficacy toward physical activity, and Presidential Physical Fitness Tests. The data analysis was completed using analyses of variance (ANOVAs), analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), paired sample t-tests, and independent sample t-tests. Results revealed significant gains in physical activity for both treatment conditions. Both groups demonstrated significantly increased step-counts relative to their baseline step-counts. The intervention did not produce significant changes in attitude or self-efficacy. There were some significant improvements in physical fitness and the scholastic measures, but these changes were not attributed to the intervention. Very low attrition, a high compliance rate, and favorable participant feedback were also noted. Overall, this study revealed that, in the short-term, it is possible to significantly improve physical activity without changing an adolescent's self-efficacy or attitude. An important finding of this study was that multi-faceted self-monitoring was the most critical factor that contributed to increased physical activity.