Evaluation of physical activity measured via accelerometry in rural fourth-grade children.

examining the relationship between physical activity and health status in adults. More recently, considerable research effon has been directed toward rhe role of physical activity in young children as a precursor to adult physical fitness. The purpose of this study was to estimate the relationship between physical activity measured via accelerometry and body mass index, body mass, body composition, and physical fitness in fourth-gade boys and girls during physical education lessons. 54 fourth-grade students in rural Pennsylvania (28 girls, M age 9.6, SD=.56; 26 boys, M age 9.5, SD= .51) were subjects. Girls were significantly less active during all lessons measured (p< ,001). The results of linear regression analyses indjcated that physical activity was negatively associated with body mass index, body mass, and body fat percentage (p< .05), and positively associated with physical fitness (VOzmax) (pc.01). These data indicate rhe need for curricular intervention to motivate girls to increase their activity during strucrured physical education lessons and demonstrate che efficacy of the body mass index as a screening tool within the schools.