title: The impact of state laws and district policies on physical education and recess practices in a nationally representative sample of US public elementary schools.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the impact of state- and school district-level policies on the prevalence of physical education (PE) and recess in a nationally representative sample of US public elementary schools.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analyses from annual, nationally representative, cross-sectional surveys of school administrators in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected through surveys conducted between February and June during the 2006-2007 through 2008-2009 school years. State laws and district policies were compiled annually by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago using established legal research techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample size was 47 states, 690 districts, and 1761 schools.
  
  
  METHODS
  State- and school district-level PE and recess-related laws.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty minutes of daily recess and 150 min/wk of PE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The odds of schools having 150 min/wk of PE increased if they were located in states (odds ratio [OR], 2.8; 95% CI, 1.3-5.7) or school districts (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.3-4.3) having a law or policy requiring 150 min/wk of PE. Schools located in states with laws encouraging daily recess were significantly more likely to have 20 minutes of recess daily (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2-2.8). District policies were not significantly associated with school-level recess practices. Adequate PE time was inversely associated with recess and vice versa, suggesting that schools are substituting one form of physical activity for another rather than providing the recommended amount of both recess and PE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By mandating PE or recess, policy makers can effectively increase school-based physical activity opportunities for youth.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health Research and Policy and Department of Health Policy & Administration, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 W Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL 60608, USA. sslater@uic.edu
authors.forename: Sandy J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Slater
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chriqui
authors.forename: Lindsey
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chaloupka
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology