Influence of Goal Setting on Physical Activity and Cardiorespiratory Endurance in Low-Income Children Enrolled in CSPAP Schools.

Background: Comprehensive school physical activity programming (CSPAP) has been shown to increase school day physical activity and health-related fitness. The use of goal setting may further enhance the outcomes of CSPAP.Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of physical activity leader (PAL) goal setting on school day physical activity and cardiorespiratory endurance in low-income children from schools receiving CSPAP.Methods: Participants were 1704 children (mean age = 9.3 ± 1.6 years) recruited from 5 low-income elementary schools. The schools were stratified into schools where PALs employed goal-setting strategies and no goal-setting strategies. Schoolday step counts and progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run (PACER) laps were collected before CSPAP and after 36 weeks.Results: Sixth-graders who received goal setting displayed greater increases in school day step counts (Δ = 665 steps,P< .001, Cohen’sd= 0.38) and PACER laps (Δ = 23.5 laps,P< .001, Cohen’sd= 0.72) compared to children who did not receive goal setting.Discussion: The use of goal setting by school PALs led to greater improvements in physical activity and cardiorespiratory endurance in sixth-graders.Translation to Health Education Practice: Because physical activity and health-related fitness tend to decline as children transition into adolescence, the use of goal setting within school physical activity programming may attenuate these declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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