Description
The purpose of the following secondary analysis was to examine the relationship between physical education/physical activity policies and student fitness outcomes. This study used existing data sets from the California Department of Education, the American Community Survey, and the local school wellness policies of San Diego school districts. The data set included Fitnessgram data from 5th grade students in 32 school districts and 7th grade students in 30 school districts collected from the 2013-2014 school year, demographic information for the students in school districts from the 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, and the local school wellness policies that were in place in San Diego school districts in the 2013-2014 school year. The analysis applied descriptive statistics to describe the demographic characteristics of the districts and explore indicator and outcome variables of interest. Two series of multivariable linear regressions were conducted to examine the relationship between physical education/physical activity policies and student fitness outcome variables among the school districts in the sample. Multivariable analysis revealed significant negative associations between three of the included policies and student fitness outcomes, and no significant positive associations between any policy variable and any student fitness outcome. Understanding which policies can impact student fitness outcomes is critical for taking advantage of the public health opportunities present in schools. Continued research is needed to determine how policy advocates should direct their energies.
