Resource Type: Tools & Guides

The information in this resource is intended only to provide educational information. This profile describes the estimated benefits, activities, resources, and leadership needed to implement a strategy to improve child health. This information can be useful for planning and prioritization purposes.

• Movement Breaks in the Classroom is a strategy to promote physical activity during the school day by incorporating five-to-10-minute movement breaks in K-5 public elementary school classrooms. 

What population benefits?

 Children in grades K-5 attending public elementary schools. 

What are the estimated benefits?

Relative to not implementing the strategy

Increase students’ moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels and, in turn, promote healthy child weight. 

What activities and resources are needed?

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Community Preventive Services Task Force. Physical Activity: Classroom-based Physical Activity Break Interventions. The Community Guide. 2021:8. Available at: https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/physical-activity-classroom-based-physical-activity-break-interventions

Selected CHOICES research brief including cost-effectiveness metrics:

Carter J, Greene J, Neeraja S, Bovenzi, M, Sabir M, Carter S, Bolton AA, Barrett JL, Reiner JR, Cradock AL. Boston, MA: Movement Breaks in the Classroom {Issue Brief}. Boston Public Schools, Boston Public Health Commission, and the CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; August 2022. Available at: https://choicesproject.org/publications/brief-movement-breaks-boston

Good N, Bolton AA, Barrett JL, Reiner JF, Cradock AL. Massachusetts: Movement Breaks in the Classroom {Issue Brief}. The CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; June 2023. Available at: https://choicesproject.org/publications/brief-movement-breaks-ma

• Browse more CHOICES research briefs & reports in the CHOICES Resource Library.

Suggested Citation

CHOICES Strategy Profile: Movement Breaks in the Classroom. CHOICES Project Team at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; October 2022.

Funding

This work is supported by The JPB Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U48DP006376). The information provided here is intended to be used for educational purposes. Links to other resources and websites are intended to provide additional information aligned with this educational purpose. The findings and conclusions are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or other funders.

Adapted from the TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) Checklist

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The information in this resource is intended only to provide educational information. This profile describes the estimated benefits, activities, resources, and leadership needed to implement a strategy to improve child health. This information can be useful for planning and prioritization purposes.

• Safe Routes to School is a program that supports the use of physically active modes of transportation to and from school, and aims to help children in grades K-8 safely walk and bicycle to school through infrastructure improvements, education, enforcement, and promotional activities.

What population benefits?

Children in grades K-8 who switch from passive to active travel to school after their school adopts an active transport program.

What are the estimated benefits?

Relative to not implementing the strategy
Increase physical activity and, in turn, promote healthy child weight.

What are the additional benefits?

Relative to not implementing the strategy
The costs of implementing this strategy could be offset by savings from…
↓ Decrease in driving, parking, and vehicle ownership and operation costs
↓ Decrease in travel time for families using their own vehicles for transportation
↓ Decrease in pedestrian and bicycle injuries and vehicle crash costs
↓ Decrease in air, greenhouse gas, water, and noise pollution costs

What activities and resources are needed?

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Selected CHOICES research brief including cost-effectiveness metrics:
McCulloch SM, Barrett JL, Reiner JF, Cradock AL. Wisconsin: Safe Routes to School {Issue Brief}. Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health, Madison, WI, & East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, Menasha, WI and the CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; May 2021. Available at: https://choicesproject.org/publications/brief-safe-routes-to-school-wisconsin/

Reiner J, Barrett J, Giles C, Cradock AL. Houston: Safe Routes to School {Issue Brief}. Houston Health Department, Houston, TX and the CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; December 2019. Available at: https://choicesproject.org/publications/brief-srts-houston-tx

Pelletier J, Reiner J, Barrett J, Cradock AL, Giles C. Minnesota: Safe Routes to School (SRTS) {Issue Brief}. Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), St. Paul, MN, and the CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; March 2019. Available at: https://choicesproject.org/publications/brief-saferoutes-to-school-minnesota

• Browse more CHOICES research briefs & reports in the CHOICES Resource Library.

Suggested Citation

CHOICES Strategy Profile: Safe Routes to School. CHOICES Project Team at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; April 2022.

Funding

This work is supported by The JPB Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U48DP006376). The information provided here is intended to be used for educational purposes. Links to other resources and websites are intended to provide additional information aligned with this educational purpose. The findings and conclusions are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or other funders.

Adapted from the TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) Checklist

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The information in this resource is intended only to provide educational information. This profile describes the estimated benefits, activities, resources, and leadership needed to implement a strategy to improve child health. This information can be useful for planning and prioritization purposes.

• Active PE is a policy that requires that 50% of time provided in physical education classes for grades K-8 be spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Physical education teachers are trained to promote physical activity during PE classes using the SPARK or CATCH curricula.

What population benefits?

Children in grades K-8 (5-14 years old).

What are the estimated benefits?

Relative to not implementing the strategy
Increase students’ moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels and, in turn, promote healthy child weight.

What activities and resources are needed?

Strategy Modification

State and local health agencies modified this strategy in the following ways. 1) Some health agencies modified this strategy to be a best practice or implementation guideline instead of a policy. With this modification, the strategy would cost less because activities to monitor compliance, including training principals, would not occur. Additionally, a percentage – instead of all PE teachers – might be trained using this modification, which would mean reaching fewer children. 2) Some health agencies modified this strategy to use a train-the-trainer model. This modifies the training model so that the training consultants train school district master trainers and the master trainers lead trainings for the PE teachers. Modifying the strategy this way could cost less.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Cradock AL, Barrett JL, Kenney EL, Giles CM, Ward ZJ, Long MW, Resch SC, Pipito AA, Wei ER, Gortmaker SL. Using cost-effectiveness analysis to prioritize policy and programmatic approaches to physical activity promotion and obesity prevention in childhood. Prev Med. 2017 Feb;95 Suppl: S17-S27. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.10.017. Supplemental Appendix with strategy details available at: https://ars.els-cdn.com/ content/image/1-s2.0-S0091743516303395-mmc1.docx

Selected CHOICES research brief including cost-effectiveness metrics:
Hopkins H, Lange J, Olson E, Taylor-Watts S, Jenkins L, McCulloch S, Barrett J, Reiner J, and Cradock AL. Iowa: Active Physical Education (PE) {Issue Brief}. Iowa Department of Public Health, Iowa Department of Education, Des Moines, IA, and the CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; April 2021. Available at: https://choicesproject.org/publications/brief-active-pe-iowa

• Access the SPARK PE curriculum at https://sparkpe.org
• Access the CATCH PE curriculum at https://catchinfo.org/modules/physical-education

• Browse more CHOICES research briefs & reports in the CHOICES Resource Library.
• Explore and compare this strategy with other strategies on the CHOICES National Action Kit.

Suggested Citation

CHOICES Strategy Profile: Active Physical Education (Active PE). CHOICES Project Team at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; April 2022.

Funding

This work is supported by The JPB Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U48DP006376). The information provided here is intended to be used for educational purposes. Links to other resources and websites are intended to provide additional information aligned with this educational purpose. The findings and conclusions are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or other funders.

Adapted from the TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) Checklist

← Back to Resources

The information in this resource is intended only to provide educational information. This profile describes the estimated benefits, activities, resources, and leadership needed to implement a strategy to improve child health. This information can be useful for planning and prioritization purposes.

• Active Recess is a program to increase physical activity during elementary school recess with structured activities, playground markings, and/or portable play equipment. This program is implemented in elementary schools to promote physical activity during recess.

What population benefits?

Children in grades K-5 (5-11 years old).

What are the estimated benefits?

Relative to not implementing the strategy
Increase students’ moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels and, in turn, promote healthy child weight.

What activities and resources are needed?

Strategy Modification

Some state and local health agencies have added to this strategy the costs of coordinating a broader state-level program when envisioning it being implemented in more than one district. This would add time for a state-level coordinator in the Department of Education to oversee the program and provide training to participating district-level coordinators. With this modification, this strategy could reach more children.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Cradock AL, Barrett JL, Kenney EL, Giles CM, Ward ZJ, Long MW, Resch SC, Pipito AA, Wei ER, Gortmaker SL. Using cost-effectiveness analysis to prioritize policy and programmatic approaches to physical activity promotion and obesity prevention in childhood. Prev Med. 2017 Feb;95 Suppl: S17-S27. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.10.017. Supplemental Appendix with strategy details available at: https://ars.els-cdn.com/ content/image/1-s2.0-S0091743516303395-mmc1.docx

Selected CHOICES research brief including cost-effectiveness metrics:
McKinnon A, Barrett J, Cradock AL, Flax C. Salt Lake County: Active Recess {Issue Brief}. Salt Lake County Health Department, Salt Lake City, UT, and the CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; December 2019. Available at: https://choicesproject.org/publications/brief-active-recess-salt-lake-county/

• Browse more CHOICES research briefs & reports in the CHOICES Resource Library.
• Explore and compare this strategy with other strategies on the CHOICES National Action Kit.

Suggested Citation

CHOICES Strategy Profile: Active Recess. CHOICES Project Team at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; April 2022.

Funding

This work is supported by The JPB Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U48DP006376). The information provided here is intended to be used for educational purposes. Links to other resources and websites are intended to provide additional information aligned with this educational purpose. The findings and conclusions are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or other funders.

Adapted from the TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) Checklist

← Back to Resources