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Volume 2: No. 2, April 2005
SPECIAL TOPICS
ORIGINAL RESEARCH: FEATURED
ABSTRACT FROM THE 19TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CHRONIC DISEASE
PREVENTION AND CONTROL
PE2GO: A Program to Address Disparities in Youth Physical Activity
Opportunities
Maurice Martin, Sarah Martin, Elmer Ray Martin
Suggested citation for this article: Martin M, Martin
S, Martin ER. PE2GO: a program to address disparities in youth
physical activity opportunities [abstract]. Prev Chronic Dis [serial online] 2005 Apr [date cited]. Available
from: URL: http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2005/
apr/04_0142a.htm.
PEER REVIEWED
Track: Partnerships
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the PE2GO pilot program in six school districts across the United States (Chicago, Ill; Los Angeles, Calif; Akron, Ohio; New York, NY; Memphis, Tenn; and Portland, Ore). PE2GO is a community affairs initiative of Nike, Inc, the athletic apparel and shoe manufacturer based in Beaverton, Ore. Within the PE2GO program, Nike partners with organizations across the country to offer programs in underserved areas (e.g., Native American Boys & Girls Clubs, African American and Latino communities in Los Angeles) to foster physical activity among youth through their influencers such as parents, teachers, and coaches. PE2GO is a self-contained physical education (PE) program that provides classroom teachers with the tools they need to lead developmentally appropriate, quality PE lessons in their fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms in inner-city schools. The pilot program reached 6000 elementary school students.
In September 2003, experienced trainers from nonprofit Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK) conducted a one-day training of PE staff using a playbook created especially for the PE2GO program. Nike provided the curriculum and the necessary equipment. The initial training focused on two themes: building a foundation and disguising fitness. A second training approximately four months later focused on a third theme: simplifying sports. Trained evaluation consultants independent from Nike or SPARK collected data for the program's evaluation and analyses in three distinct phases: pre-intervention, mid-intervention, and post-intervention. The intervention occurred through May 2004, and all data were reported by the faculty and administrators at the schools where the curricula were implemented (N = 164); this group included classroom teachers (n = 128), PE specialists (n = 22), and school-level administrators (n = 14).
Reported minutes of PE per week increased significantly from
pre-intervention to mid-intervention (37 minutes pre-intervention vs 60 minutes
mid-intervention; P
< .05) and remained significantly higher than pre-intervention
at the post-test (73 minutes). Satisfaction
increased significantly from pre-intervention to mid-intervention
(P < .05) and remained elevated post-intervention. Four
of the eight questions assessing barriers showed that barriers
decreased significantly from pre-intervention to mid-intervention
(P < .05) and remained reduced post-intervention.
Almost all administrators reported that they would support staff
development (94%) and encourage staff to implement PE2GO (88%);
more than half said they would reward staff for implementing
PE2GO with fidelity (56%). From the qualitative research, almost
all responded that administrators have expressed support for the
program, yet about half added that administrators have had little
involvement. Classroom teachers were successfully trained and satisfied
with the program and the effect it was having on their fourth-
and fifth-grade students. Reported minutes of PE increased
substantially.
The PE2GO program holds promise in this day of
declining opportunities for children to be active during their
school hours, especially in schools with limited resources for PE
specialists.
Corresponding Author: Maurice W Martin, PhD, MEd,
Research Evaluation Specialist, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion, Division of Diabetes Translation, 4770 Buford
Highway NE, Mail Stop K-10, Atlanta, GA 30341. Telephone:
770-488-5385. E-mail: beq2@cdc.gov.
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