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The Impact of Physical Education on Childhood Obesity in Ohio School Children

Cascarelli, Nicholas V., Jr.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1464035106

Abstract Details

2016, Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies.
Childhood obesity has become a significant public health problem over the past 35 years. According to the Surgeon General report on Childhood Obesity from 2010, obesity that starts in childhood or adolescence creates greater risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, arthritis, stroke, and cancer. The literature shows that childhood obesity increases most rapidly during the early elementary school years. While obesity and its etiology are certainly multifaceted, at best, several studies have linked many social and environmental determinants of health. The research has shown strong links to factors such as socioeconomic status, the community type, and amount of physical activity through organized curriculum, intervention, and recess. The sample was a systematic stratified random sample of Ohio schools that reported their 3rd grade BMI scores for 2009-2010 school year to the Ohio Department of Health. The sample included 25 schools and 1,006 students. Those schools selected were contacted via phone to ask how many minutes per week schools allocated to physical education in grades K-3, and how many minutes per day was allotted for recess in grades K-3. Other data in the data set were the percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch; the school building academic performance designations were acquired from the Ohio Department of Education. Zero-order Correlations were run for all variables. Those that were significantly correlated to BMI percentile adjusted for age and sex correlations were selected to run sequential multiple linear regression. Those variables were minutes of daily recess in the third grade, children receiving free or reduced lunch and the type of community. There were two sets of regression analyses. The first set was run at the student level. The first model at the student level, with the all three independent variables, resulted in an R2; = 0.011, F(3, 1001) = 3.726, p = 0.011. Model two at the student level, with the subtraction of the Community Type variable, revealed a less powerful R2; = 0.009, F(2,1003) = 4.481, p =.012. When this regression was run at the school level, neither regression was significant. The first model at the school level, with the all three independent variables, resulted in an R2; = 0.304, F(3, 21) = 3.058, p = 0.051. Model two, run at the school level, with the subtraction of the Community Type variable, revealed a less powerful R2; = 0.198, F(2,22) = 2.715, p =.088. These results suggest that the model run at the student level accounts for approximately 1% of the variation in BMI; the model run at the school level was not a significant predictor of the variance. While the model included for Ohio students did not indicate a strong predictor for childhood obesity, schools can play a significant role in the childhood obesity issue.
Karen Larwin, PhD (Advisor)
Sara Michaliszyn, PhD (Committee Member)
Patrick Spearman, PhD (Committee Member)
Salvatore Sanders, PhD (Committee Member)
79 p.
Education Policy; Health Education; Physical Education
Childhood Obesity; BMI; Physical Education

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Cascarelli, Jr., N. V. (2016). The Impact of Physical Education on Childhood Obesity in Ohio School Children [Doctoral dissertation, Youngstown State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1464035106

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Cascarelli, Jr., Nicholas . The Impact of Physical Education on Childhood Obesity in Ohio School Children. 2016. Youngstown State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1464035106.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Cascarelli, Jr., Nicholas . "The Impact of Physical Education on Childhood Obesity in Ohio School Children." Doctoral dissertation, Youngstown State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1464035106

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ysu1464035106
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This open access ETD is published by Youngstown State University and OhioLINK.