Details:

Alternative Title:
Prev Chronic Dis
Personal Author:
Borawski, Elaine A. ; Jones, Sarah Drewes ; Yoder, Laura Danosky ; Taylor, Tara ; Clint, Barbara A. ; ... More +
Borawski, Elaine A. ; Jones, Sarah Drewes ; Yoder, Laura Danosky ; Taylor, Tara ; Clint, Barbara A. ; Goodwin, Meredith A. ; Trapl, Erika S. Less -
Description:
Introduction

The We Run This City (WRTC) Youth Marathon Program is a community-supported, school-based fitness program designed to increase physical activity in a large, urban school district by engaging middle school youth to train 12 to 14 weeks to run or walk 1.2 miles, 6.2 miles, or 13.1 miles of the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of the intervention on adolescent health.

Methods

We assessed changes in obesity, health, and fitness, measured before training and postintervention, among 1,419 sixth- to eighth-grade students participating in WRTC for the first time, with particular interest in the program’s effect on overweight (85th–94th body mass index percentile) or obese (≥95th percentile) students. We collected data from 2009 through 2012, and analyzed it in 2016 and 2017. Outcomes of interest were body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), elevated blood pressure, and fitness levels evaluated by using the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) test and the sit-to-stand test.

Results

We saw significant improvements overall in fitness and blood pressure. Controlling for demographics, program event, and training dosage, BMI percentile increased among normal weight participants and decreased among overweight and obese participants (P < .001). WHR increased among obese participants, whereas reductions in blood pressure among those with elevated blood pressure were associated with higher amounts of training and lower baseline BMI.

Conclusion

Even small amounts of regular physical activity can affect the health and fitness of urban youths. School–community partnerships offer a promising approach to increasing physical activity by supporting schools and making a school-based activity inclusive, fun, and connected to the broader fitness community.


Subjects:
[+]
Adolescent Community Health Services Exercise Female Humans Male Physical Conditioning, Human Physical Fitness Running School Health Services Walking
Source:
Prev Chronic Dis. 15.
Pubmed ID:
29729132
Pubmed Central ID:
PMC5951154
Document Type:
Journal Article
Collection(s):
Preventing Chronic Disease
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:14d78f693864f3d8807093be9119942264b1608de58c787b1df41402fa74eacd
Download URL:
https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/55294/cdc_55294_DS1.pdf
File Type:

Supporting Files

• 	PCD-15-E52.nxml	xml
  	PCD-15-E52s01.gif	gif
  	PCD-15-E52s01.jpg	jpeg

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