THE EFFECTS OF A HOME BASED ACTIVITY PROGRAM ON LOW FITNESS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

Twelve elementary school children aged from 9 to 12 years were identified as being of low health fitness by the screening test Fitness Performance: A Minimum Requirement.;Four parenters were trained to work with the families of the low fitness children. During all phases of the Home Based Activity Program the experimenter established criterion activity levels (points) which the children were encouraged to reach. Various motivational procedures were incorporated including contingency contracting to increase the likelihood that the criterion level would be achieved.;Various health and physical fitness measures were evaluated during the study. Nine of the ten subjects who completed all aspects of the Home Based Activity Program positively increased their level of health fitness. Positive increments in physical fitness behaviors occurred for all subjects in one or more areas by the end of the program. The Home Based Activity Program was successful in increasing the activity levels of all subjects by an average of 100%. Results also showed that specific physical behaviors in the areas of cardiorespiratory (aerobic) fitness, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility increased in occurrence when intervened upon during the study.;Baseline physical activity levels were determined for all subjects and then an intervention procedure, the Home Based Activity Program, was introduced (for 9 to 12 weeks) in an attempt to increase the activity level of each subject. A point system, based on caloric expenditure, was developed to monitor the amount of physical activity completed. The children's parents recorded the data.