Maintenance of effects of the CATCH physical education program: results from the CATCH-ON study

Abstract

Long-term maintenance effects of physical education (PE) curriculum and staff development programs have not been studied. The authors assessed the sustainability of the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) PE intervention using direct observations of 1,904 PE lessons in former intervention and control schools in four U.S. states 5-years postintervention. Student physical activity levels, lesson contexts, and level of CATCH PE training of teachers were analyzed. Student energy expenditure levels and proportion of PE time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in intervention schools were maintained 5 years later, but vigorous activity declined sharply. Meanwhile, postintervention gains in former control schools, influenced by delayed program implementation and secular trends, resulted in a convergence of activity levels in intervention and control schools. Use of CATCH PE curricula was associated with increased levels of teacher training and school support for PE in both former intervention and control schools.