title: Effect of the SPARK Program on Physical Activity, Cardiorespiratory Endurance, and Motivation in Middle-School Students.
abstract: This study aimed to examine the effect of a 9-week SPARK program on physical activity (PA), cardiorespiratory endurance (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run; PACER), and motivation in middle-school students.
  
  
  
  174 students attended baseline and posttests and change scores computed for each outcome. A MANOVA was employed to examine change score differences using follow-up ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests.
  
  
  
  MANOVA yielded a significant interaction for Grade × Gender × Group (Wilks's Λ = 0.89, P < .001). ANOVA for PA revealed significant differences between SPARK grades 6 and 7 (Mean Δ = 8.11, P < .01) and Traditional grades 6 and 8 (Mean Δ = -6.96, P < .01). ANOVA also revealed greater PACER change for Traditional boys in grade 8 (P < .01) and SPARK girls in grade 8 (P < .01). There were significant interactions with perceived competence differences between SPARK grades 6 and 8 (Mean Δ = 0.38, P < .05), Enjoyment differences between SPARK grades 6 and 7 (Mean Δ = 0.67, P < .001), and SPARK grades 6 and 8 (Mean Δ = 0.81, P < .001).
  
  
  
  Following the intervention, SPARK displayed greater increases on PA and motivation measures in younger students compared with the Traditional program.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences, University of Nebraska, Kearney, NE.
authors.forename: You
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Zan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hannon
authors.forename: Ryan D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Timothy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Brusseau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000072599:Cardiorespiratory Fitness; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D010807:Physical Endurance; D011594:Psychometrics; D012107:Research Design; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students