Abstract
Physical education (PE) at school is an important starting point for long-term interventions improving quality of life in elderly. To evaluate the effectiveness of professionally led PE on motor and health-related abilities of Italian primary schoolchildren (3rd-5th graders), three schools were assigned to the experimental groups "A" (38 pupils, 17 M, 21 F) and "B" (37 pupils, 16 M, 21 F), and to control group "C" (26 pupils, 18 M, 8 F). All groups underwent a six-month, twice-a-week (60 min each session) PE intervention. The PE program of the EGs was age-tailored, included strength training and was administered by specialised teachers. Group A and B programs differed in the strength training devices used, while they were identical in terms of training load. The control group program was not structured and administered by generalist teachers. At baseline and follow-up, children underwent a motor and health-related abilities test battery. At follow-up, children in group C gained significantly more weight than children in the EGs and scored significantly less than the children in the EGs in the following assessments: counter movement jump (C:+0.15% vs. A:+4.1% and B:+6.99%), plate tapping (C:+13.56% vs. A:+19.37% and B:+36.12%), sit-and-reach (C:-311.15% vs. B:+409.57%), pinch strength (C:+2.39% vs. B:+10.83, on average) and sit-up (C:+29.69% vs. A:+72.61%). In conclusion, specialist-led pupils demonstrated greater increases in some motor and health-related abilities tests compared to generalist-led peers, while different strength training devices produced comparable increases of strength in both EGs.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 582-590 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | European Journal of Sport Science |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Sep 2013 |
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Keywords
- children
- fitness
- physical education
- Primary school
- specialist teachers
- strength
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Cite this
Effectiveness of professionally-guided physical education on fitness outcomes of primary school children. / Lucertini, Francesco; Spazzafumo, Liana; de Lillo, Francesca; Centonze, Debora; Valentini, Manuela; Federici, Ario.
In: European Journal of Sport Science, Vol. 13, No. 5, 09.2013, p. 582-590.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Effectiveness of professionally-guided physical education on fitness outcomes of primary school children
AU - Lucertini, Francesco
AU - Spazzafumo, Liana
AU - de Lillo, Francesca
AU - Centonze, Debora
AU - Valentini, Manuela
AU - Federici, Ario
PY - 2013/9
Y1 - 2013/9
N2 - Physical education (PE) at school is an important starting point for long-term interventions improving quality of life in elderly. To evaluate the effectiveness of professionally led PE on motor and health-related abilities of Italian primary schoolchildren (3rd-5th graders), three schools were assigned to the experimental groups "A" (38 pupils, 17 M, 21 F) and "B" (37 pupils, 16 M, 21 F), and to control group "C" (26 pupils, 18 M, 8 F). All groups underwent a six-month, twice-a-week (60 min each session) PE intervention. The PE program of the EGs was age-tailored, included strength training and was administered by specialised teachers. Group A and B programs differed in the strength training devices used, while they were identical in terms of training load. The control group program was not structured and administered by generalist teachers. At baseline and follow-up, children underwent a motor and health-related abilities test battery. At follow-up, children in group C gained significantly more weight than children in the EGs and scored significantly less than the children in the EGs in the following assessments: counter movement jump (C:+0.15% vs. A:+4.1% and B:+6.99%), plate tapping (C:+13.56% vs. A:+19.37% and B:+36.12%), sit-and-reach (C:-311.15% vs. B:+409.57%), pinch strength (C:+2.39% vs. B:+10.83, on average) and sit-up (C:+29.69% vs. A:+72.61%). In conclusion, specialist-led pupils demonstrated greater increases in some motor and health-related abilities tests compared to generalist-led peers, while different strength training devices produced comparable increases of strength in both EGs.
AB - Physical education (PE) at school is an important starting point for long-term interventions improving quality of life in elderly. To evaluate the effectiveness of professionally led PE on motor and health-related abilities of Italian primary schoolchildren (3rd-5th graders), three schools were assigned to the experimental groups "A" (38 pupils, 17 M, 21 F) and "B" (37 pupils, 16 M, 21 F), and to control group "C" (26 pupils, 18 M, 8 F). All groups underwent a six-month, twice-a-week (60 min each session) PE intervention. The PE program of the EGs was age-tailored, included strength training and was administered by specialised teachers. Group A and B programs differed in the strength training devices used, while they were identical in terms of training load. The control group program was not structured and administered by generalist teachers. At baseline and follow-up, children underwent a motor and health-related abilities test battery. At follow-up, children in group C gained significantly more weight than children in the EGs and scored significantly less than the children in the EGs in the following assessments: counter movement jump (C:+0.15% vs. A:+4.1% and B:+6.99%), plate tapping (C:+13.56% vs. A:+19.37% and B:+36.12%), sit-and-reach (C:-311.15% vs. B:+409.57%), pinch strength (C:+2.39% vs. B:+10.83, on average) and sit-up (C:+29.69% vs. A:+72.61%). In conclusion, specialist-led pupils demonstrated greater increases in some motor and health-related abilities tests compared to generalist-led peers, while different strength training devices produced comparable increases of strength in both EGs.
KW - children
KW - fitness
KW - physical education
KW - Primary school
KW - specialist teachers
KW - strength
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84888002588&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84888002588&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/17461391.2012.746732
DO - 10.1080/17461391.2012.746732
M3 - Article
C2 - 24050477
AN - SCOPUS:84888002588
VL - 13
SP - 582
EP - 590
JO - European Journal of Sport Science
JF - European Journal of Sport Science
SN - 1746-1391
IS - 5
ER -