title: Findings From the EASY Minds Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial: Evaluation of a Physical Activity Integration Program for Mathematics in Primary Schools.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the impact of a primary school-based physical activity (PA) integration program delivered by teachers on objectively measured PA and key educational outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten classes from 8 Australian public schools were randomly allocated to treatment conditions. Teachers from the intervention group were taught to embed movement-based learning in their students' (n = 142) daily mathematics program in 3 lessons per week for 6 weeks. The control group (n = 98) continued its regular mathematics program. The primary outcome was accelerometer-determined PA across the school day. Linear mixed models were used to analyze treatment effects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant intervention effects were found for PA across the school day (adjusted mean difference 103 counts per minute [CPM], 95% confidence interval [CI], 36.5-169.7, P = .008). Intervention effects were also found for PA (168 CPM, 95% CI, 90.1-247.4, P = .008) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (2.6%, 95% CI, 0.9-4.4, P = .009) in mathematics lessons, sedentary time across the school day (-3.5%, 95% CI, -7.0 to -0.13, P = .044) and during mathematics (-8.2%, CI, -13.0 to -2.0, P = .010) and on-task behavior (13.8%, 95% CI, 4.0-23.6, P = .011)-but not for mathematics performance or attitude.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Integrating movement across the primary mathematics syllabus is feasible and efficacious.
authors.affiliation: Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Education, University of Newcastle, Callaghan Campus, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Lubans
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Morgan
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry; D001315:Australia; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D009043:Motor Activity; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*