Physical Education Programs and Childhood Obesity - Essay Example

? School-Based Physical Education Programs and Childhood Obesity: A Quantitative Correlation Study Grade (4th, April. 2013) Introduction The United States is currently experiencing a health epidemic in the form of obesity. More than 35% of adults are obese, and that categorization does not include more nuanced distinctions determined based upon an individual’s body mass index (Center for Disease Control, 2012). Obesity is an insidious condition for which those afflicted by it become stigmatized for their body, as well as varied associated health conditions they may predispose to as a result of their obesity. A growing segment of the population for which obesity is becoming a serious problem is school-aged children. Current research shows that obese children perform worse academically than normal weight children. Obese children affected by deteriorating physical and mental health lack the ability to stay intellectually focused in school. Thus, childhood obesity in the context of educational settings will be the focus of this dissertation. Specifically, this study will delve into the subject matter with a particular focus on African American female high school students. Furthermore, the focus of this study is the connection between the efficacy of exercise programs and regimens for school aged children. The United States, like other countries, depends upon having a healthy youth base to take over and eventually lead. If we cannot reasonably conceive that our youth will be healthy enough to lead, that presents substantial political, economic and national security problems. More fundamentally, however, as adults, we represent the first and last line of defense for children as their caregivers. In this regard, the role of caregiver is not merely relegated to children’s parents, but also their educators, and those in the community. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), when students are physically unhealthy, they are also at risk for deficiencies in other areas pertaining to their health including mental health, intellectual health (ability to learn), and the ability to socialize. Further, the CDC observed that a sick body often translates into a deficient ability to stay focused, learn in school and grow (Centers for Disease Control, 2012). Attending school is not exclusively meant for studying the subject matter, but also for enhancing individual and social growth. Thus, mental health can rarely thrive, without physical health, since physical health ultimately affects learning ability (Bailey, 2006). Thus, there are several potential positive social outcomes that can arise from this study. First, by investigating the relationship between childhood obesity and the efficacy of physical education programs, answers can be provided to a number of related questions. The answers can provide information to educators and administrators as how they can alter current educational methodologies and pedagogy to effectively create physical, mental, intellectual, and social environments that are conducive to youth development. Second, such a study will further a dialogue about the importance of applied educational research into topics that are not traditionally thought of as germane to education such as physical education. This study has potential to demonstrate that adequate physical education programs are necessary to support physically healthy students, which will help to facilitate improved health in other categories that ultimately affect learning outcomes. Early childhood through adolescent years mark the most critical physiological, psychological, and physical development periods (Belgrave, 2009). Thus, without good physical health, the corresponding steps of individual growth can be disturbed, and growth can be stunted to the degree that youth can fail to thrive in the educational setting with respect to actual learning, as well as feeling secure in their bodies. Background The broader discussion of how to tackle childhood obesity, especially in the educational setting is profoundly difficult to address for a number of reasons. While education is itself a unique discipline, with a distinct history, the issue of addressing childhood obesity in education demands that scholars and practitioners alike assess the problem from an interdisciplinary framework that incorporates an understanding of the health (physical), psychological, economic, political, and sociological contexts in which the implementation of programs meant to address childhood obesity in education must be analyzed. Nevertheless, a psychological framework is necessary for understanding the focus and intent of this study. For youth, particularly school aged children, regardless of whether or not they are obese, psychological development is fundamental to success in the classroom. The ability to learn is inextricably linked to a number of psychological and psycho-social processes, which must be founded upon a healthy physical composition. According to “developmental theoretical perspective,” adolescents go undergo extensive and tumultuous phases of growth that can be either aided or harmed by being unhealthy (Erikson, 1960). How adolescents develop is dependent upon who they are as much as where they live, and the physical and psychological environments in which they find themselves. Adolescent productivity and learning outcomes are thus to a great degree dependent upon physical wellbeing and growth, and the absence of debilitating medical conditions that can stunt physiological and psychological growth. Psychologist Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory and psychologist B.F. Skinner’s concept of “operant conditioning” will be used and explored to help elucidate the nature of exercise with respect to how students can best learn how to look out for their physical, and consequently, their intellectual and psychological wellbeing. Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory is important with respect to this topic because it posits that children learn how to interact socially by emulating the environment around them. Since youth (children and adolescents) learn primarily by socialization, specifically social cues, using this method of environmental conditioning can help students with exercising more by encouraging them to emulate and engage in aerobic, physical exertion. Unlike other social theories which focus on the importance of rewards vs. punishments (adverse consequences), Social Cognitive Theory proffers that individuals self-regulate based upon feedback from others (Bandura, 1997). A substantial aspect of Social Cognitive Theory is the concept of self-efficacy; the ability to do for oneself. In short, self-efficacy can be viewed as agency. Arguably, obese students lack the agency to be physically healthy individuals, at least temporarily, which then influences their ability to be fully focused on their studies. B.F. Skinner’s concept of “operant conditioning” informs this study because it deals with the idea of reinforcing or conditioning behavior. Skinner did not permit value judgments on reinforcers, but explicitly asserted that people make that choice on their own. With respect to exercise, currently obese students appear to gravitate more towards negative reinforcers, which can be anything from choosing not to exercise, eating a lot of junk food, or a combination of the two. In regard to this study, Skinner’s “operant conditioning” would demonstrate whether students’ obesity rates are affected by the amount of exercise they receive in school. In such a manner, school environment and exercise programs/regimens are the reinforcers. A deeper discussion of these issues will follow in the second chapter. In terms of African American female high school student adiposity (obesity), programs must be implemented that focus on the most pertinent biomedical, socioeconomic and cultural factors that lead to adiposity as well as perpetuate it well into adulthood. Statistics indicate that many 80% of all African American women in the USA are either obese or overweight (Centers for Disease Control, 2012). Statistics additionally indicate that African American girls were 80% more likely to become obese, as compared to the Non-Hispanic white girls, for the period 2007 to 2010 (Centers for Disease Control, 2012). These statistics indicate that obesity and overweight for African America girls is a reality, which translates to adulthood. This reality necessitates the search for a corrective measure that can help address this problem. Problem Statement A number of studies address the broad topic of childhood obesity and student performance according Taras & Datema’s (2005) childhood obesity rates and student performance serve as a clarion call regarding the affect obesity can have on preventing students from reaching their potential, thus stunting their intellectual, educational, and psychological growth. Freudenberg (2010) took an unorthodox approach in addressing the issue by investigating how municipalities deal with the adverse effects of childhood obesity on student performance in metropolitan cities such as New York and London. Hollar et al. (2010) investigated the same topic but used a more interdisciplinary framework in which diet, curricula and physical activity were assessed in relation to student outcomes. These studies and several others found that obese children, even when other sociological factors were controlled, fared substantially worse in academics than their non-obese counterparts. However, what studies have yet to investigate is the correlation, if any, between times spent exercising and student performance (academic achievement). Thus, this study will focus on this gap in the research, with the intent that conducting such a study will better amplify related issues that affect student performance and intersect with student physical wellbeing. Purpose of Study The intent of this study is to find whether there is a (significant) correlation between the amount of time female African American high school students spend exercising in school-based physical education programs and obesity rates within the target group. The question must be answered in order to outline a framework with which to most appropriately implement student programs that can aid black adolescent female students in their studies. For this study, the independent variable is the amount of time African American female high school students spend exercising. The amount of time can be controlled by either the students themselves, or more appropriately adults such as the principal investigator of this study. The dependent variable is the rate of obesity of the students (target group). Research Question Question: Does the CrossFit Kids programs have a significantly different effect on obesity rates in female African American students than traditional PE classes? Dependent variable: Obesity Rates Independent variable: Exercise Time Group: African American females (high school students) Null Hypothesis Ho= There is no correlation between time spent exercising in school physical education programs and teenage female African American obesity rates. HA= There is a correlation between time spent exercising in school physical education programs and teenage female African American obesity rates Obesity rates will be measured by finding each student’s BMI ( body mass index). Exercise time will be measured by minutes. Study methodology The nature of the study is quantitative and correlational. A multiple linear regression will be used to ascertain whether there is a correlation between the time students spend exercising in school-based physical education programs and childhood obesity. Time spent exercising is the independent variable, and average change in the body mass index of participants is the dependent variable. Adolescent females of African (American) descent enrolled in high school will be the targeted population. Specifically, this study will target individuals in this group who have chosen to participate in the CrossFit Kids programs which are part of the National Standards for Physical Education (NASPE) objectives and goals. Students’ body mass index scores will be tested at the beginning and conclusion of the study. In this case, the longitudinal aspect of the study will provide data that effectively demonstrates whether there is a, statistically significant, correlation between time spent exercising at school and obesity rates. This population will be compared and contrasted with high school students engaged in general (i.e. traditional) physical education programs. Students participating in general physical education programs will also undergo this longitudinal testing. Testing will include body mass index testing and physical rigor testing via curl-ups/partial curl-ups, shuttle runs, vertical-sit reach/sit and reach, one-mile runs, pull-ups, and right angle push-ups. Definitions Socioeconomic Status- Socioeconomic status refers to the combined measurement of an individual’s societal and economic background. According to Gazela (2012), an individual can be of high socioeconomic status even if he or she earns an income consistent with being categorized as poor, if the person has grown up, lived in, or been educated in elite economic and social strata. Adiposity is a disease that is associated with morbid overweight. We collectively speak of adiposity if the concerned individual has a so-called body mass index (BMI) of more than 30kg/m?. Educator – An educator is a person responsible for teaching students. Service Provider- A service provider is an individual who provides services. These services can vary. Professionals and non-professionals can be service providers, and often work in collaboration with one another. Conditioning- Conditioning refers to the ability to reinforce behavior based upon negative or positive reinforcers. The idea of “operant conditioning” can be attributed to psychologist B.F. Skinner. Psycho-social- Psycho-social refers to an individual’s psychological development and behavior in relation with their various environments, e.g. school, work, and home. Assumptions The assumption: Study participants will not participate in activities that will alter their body mass index. There is one principal assumption for this study, which has been presented above. Considering the fact that the study is endeavoring to determine whether there is a significant correlation between time students spend exercising at school and obesity rates as measured by body mass index, if students are engaging in weight control as an extracurricular activity, results may be skewed. Therefore, it is assumed that students will only consume (ingest) food and drink items that do not negatively affect their weight. Additionally, it is assumed that they will not engage in physical activity outside of the school exercise programs and initiatives. For cultural reasons that will be better elucidated in the next chapter, this may be more difficult than expected. Scope and Limitations While the issue of childhood obesity and its effects on student outcomes is a robust and dynamic topic, it is also a large topic with many potential avenues. In the view that the topic demands investigation throughout several disciplines, the focus of this study had to be narrowed to something manageable yet still important. The issue of ascertaining the extent to which school-based physical education programs can affect obesity rates represents a logical focus. It is widely understood that obesity is an endemic problem amongst youth populations (Lerner 2005). It is also widely accepted that obesity adversely affects students’ ability to learn and consequently thrive in the academic setting as well as school-related, extracurricular settings. It is also believed that while children and adolescents spend most of their time during the week at school, poor diet, and lack of exercise are exacerbated in the home setting. While educators and auxiliary personnel can do little, if anything, in the way of engendering change for students in their homes, they can cause positive change in the school setting. However, in order to implement effective programs and initiatives, practitioners must know whether school-based programs can help. Therefore the focus of the study is to determine whether school-based exercise programs can assist students by lowering body mass index, and consequently improve their physical, psychological and intellectual health and wellbeing. The results of this study may not be the widely generalizable, due to the fact that large enough sample sizes will not be utilized. Additionally, because the targeted population will not be further narrowed according to pre-existing condition such as diabetes, hypertension, or other medical or physical conditions that may impede physical exertion and therefore adversely affect whether BMI changes, the results will be useful in determining whether exercise programs in school will be helpful as a tool with which to fight childhood obesity. However, they cannot determine the extent to which such regimens can be helpful for all students because of the diversity of the population and therefore the diversity of physical compositions. Significance By uncovering whether school-based physical exercise programs assist black female students with lowering their BMI and therefore their weight, this study can contribute to the literature and discipline by providing original research that can serve as the empirical basis for future studies that qualitatively investigate how best students can be served. Specifically, future studies can investigate the ways in which students can use exercise in school and extracurricular activities to improve their physical wellbeing so as to also improve their psychological wellbeing which is equally important to educational success and positive learning outcomes. Further studies based off the results of this research can focus more on the policy and political issues inherent to public school programs, especially those dealing with food meal procurements or exercise. Nevertheless, the important findings will be most germane to improving the quality of physical education programs. Summary In summation, this chapter has provided an overview of the intent and nature of this study, including its methodology, the background of the subject matter, and the theoretical and conceptual frameworks with which the study will be carried out. The literature on the broad topic conclusively suggests that obese youth, especially African American females, continues with the overweight character to their adulthood. The literature also convincingly suggests that programs ought to be implemented to counter the childhood/youth obesity epidemic. While there is an abundance of qualitative studies, there is a dearth of adequate quantitative studies that provide empirical data that can guide sound education policy aimed at improving the efficacy of physical education programs. The connection between the need for this data and policy will be further explored in the next chapter, as will a more detailed assessment of the literature on the subject matter of obesity research with respect to African American female self-perception, culture, and socioeconomic status. References Bailey, E. J. (2006). Food choice and obesity in Black America: Creating a new cultural diet. Westport, Conn: Praeger. Belgrave, F. Z. (2009). African American girls: Reframing perceptions and changing experiences. Dordrecht: Springer. Read More