Assessment of Attitudes Toward Physical Education by the Implementation of an Extracurricular Program for Obese Children

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies the importance of implementing physical activity programs such as physical education (PE) classes in schools. This study identifies the attitudes of obese children toward PE, before and after participation in a vigorous-intensity physical exercise program without the participation of normal-weight peers using a questionnaire on Attitudes toward Physical Education (CAEF). 98 children between 8-11 years of age were randomized in an Experimental Group (GE) (n = 48) and a Control Group (CG) (n = 47). They were assessed using a questionnaire on Attitudes toward Physical Education (CAEF). All the study participants exhibited a BMI Z-score ≥ 2. Before the intervention, the only difference between boys and girls was "empathy to teacher and physical education subject" (p = 0.001, d de Cohen = 0.72, r = 0.34). The interaction between gender and training was only present in empathy for the teacher, with a medium effect size (η² = 0.055). The implementation of PE with two hours per week elicits only a few effects over the attitude of obese children, even though with a certain engagement of gender through training in the adjustment of empathy for teachers and the PE class.

Keywords: attitudes; childhood obesity; moderate and vigorous activity; physical education.

Figure 1

Mean heart rate per session.