First Advisor

Cahill, Michael

College

Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions

Degree Name

MS Health Services Administration

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Number of Pages

47 pages

Abstract

The purpose of this research project is to see if there is a relationship between the amount of physical activity a child gets during the week and their BMI. Previous studies have revealed an increase in the occurrence of childhood and adolescent overweight and obesity, and associations have been identified between physical activity, sedentary behaviors, dietary patterns and students perceptions of overweight and obesity (Tremblay, 2003). This research study was a casual comparative validation study due to the secondary data that was collected by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Overweight and obesity are determined by the BMI that is calculated by using an individual's height and weight and yields a reliable manner of determining body fatness(U.S. Department, 2007).. Physical activity was measured in the number of hours per week, no physical activity, one to three hours, three to five, five to ten, and greater than ten hours per week. The methodology used the Chi-square test to determine if there is an association between BMI and the categorized amount of time. The analysis of the data indicated that a relationship exist between physical activity and BMI. The results show that the time children spend hourly in physical activity on a weekly basis is associated with their BMI of underweight, healthy-weight, overweight, or obese. The focus for Healthcare Service Administrators should be on future strategies of treatment and prevention and to educate physicians, parents, and their children about the direct and indirect effects of overweight and obesity.

Date of Award

Fall 2008

Location (Creation)

Colorado (state); Denver (county); Denver (inhabited place)

Rights Statement

All content in this Collection is owned by and subject to the exclusive control of Regis University and the authors of the materials. It is available only for research purposes and may not be used in violation of copyright laws or for unlawful purposes. The materials may not be downloaded in whole or in part without permission of the copyright holder or as otherwise authorized in the “fair use” standards of the U.S. copyright laws and regulations.

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