September 2006

General Resources

Introduction

This knowledge path about physical activity and children and adolescents has been compiled by the Maternal and Child Health Library at Georgetown University. It offers a selection of recent, high-quality resources that analyze data, describe public health campaigns and other promotion programs, and report on research aimed at identifying promising strategies for improving physical activity levels within families, schools, and communities. The knowledge path also provides resources that describe the consequences of sedentary behavior. The knowledge path is aimed at health professionals, policymakers, educators, coaches, and families, and it will be updated periodically.

Related knowledge path topics: Child and adolescent nutrition and Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents.

Overview

• See Physical activity and the health of young people, rev. ed. (2006) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This fact sheet highlights the benefits of regular physical activity and the long-term consequences of physical inactivity. It also briefly describes the prevalence and consequences of overweight among children and adolescents and their participation rates in physical activity and in physical education classes.

  
  

Web Sites: A-Z

• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Physical Activity. Contains patient education brochures and policy statements on topics that include promoting physical activity, safety tips for home playground equipment, organized sports, physical fitness and activity in schools, and strength training.
  
  
• American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). Includes publications, program information, and links to a research consortium and each of the alliance organizations that represent professionals in physical education, health education, recreation, dance, and sports. The organizations are the American Association for Health Education (AAHE), the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR), the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS), the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), and the National Dance Association (NDA). NASPE, the largest of AAHPERD's national associations, works to improve physical education, sport, and physical activity programs through research, development of standards, and dissemination of information. NASPE recently published

  Shape of the nation report: Status of physical education in the USA. (2006). This report provides information about the status of physical education in each of the states and the District of Columbia. The report emphasizes the importance of high-quality, daily physical education programs for children and adolescents and provides information that can be used to support efforts to expand and improve physical education programs.

  Also see NASPE-Talk and NASPE-Forum.

• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Offers research grant and conference information, online learning tools, position statements, consumer health and fitness brochures, and other resources about the motivation, responses, adaptations, and health aspects of people engaged in sports and exercise, including children and adolescents.
  
  
• American Council on Exercise (ACE): Youth Fitness. Offers fact sheets and other materials for health and education professionals and families to help promote physical fitness among children and adolescents. ACE is an international, nonprofit fitness certification and education provider.
  
  
• American Heart Association (AHA): Children and Exercise. Contains links to fact sheets and position statements about the importance of physical activity for children and adolescents. Also links to program information for school-based physical activity programs, Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart, HeartPower, an online curriculum-based program for teaching about the heart and how to keep it healthy, and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation Healthy Schools Program.
  
  
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Supports several initiatives and offers many resources to improve physical activity among children, adolescents, and adults that include

  Guide to Community Preventive Services: Physical Activity. Contains recommendations for population-based interventions to increase physical activity that are appropriate for use by communities and health care systems. Recommendations are focused on interventions in three areas: (1) informational approaches to increasing physical activity, (2) behavioral and social approaches to increasing physical activity, and (3) environmental and policy changes to increasing physical activity.

  Physical Activity Resources for Health Professionals. Offers information and tools for state and local health departments, schools and universities, community coalitions, organizations that fund public health programs, health care systems, and other groups that have an interest in or responsibility for increasing physical activity. Provides key reference documents, data and surveillance resources, information to assist with program planning and evaluation, and ideas for physical activity promotion. Resources include

  • Physical activity and good nutrition: Essential elements to prevent chronic diseases and obesity: At a glance. (2006).
    
    
  • Physical activity and health: A report of the Surgeon General. (1996). This landmark report is a comprehensive overview of research related to physical activity and health.

  Tobacco-Free Sports Initiatives. Offers materials to help coaches, school administrators, and state and local health departments promote the importance of choosing an active and tobacco-free lifestyle.

  Also see these additional CDC resources: Healthy Youth!, BAM! Body and Mind, Powerful Bones. Powerful Girls, VERB: It's What You Do, Designing and Building Healthy Places, Active Community Environments, Data and Surveillance: An Explanation of U.S. Physical Activity Surveys, Data2010: The Healthy People 2010 Database, State-Based Physical Activity Program Directory, and State Legislative Information.

• Disabled Sports USA. Contains information about its nationwide sports rehabilitation programs for anyone who has a permanent physical disability.
  
  
• FitSource: A Web Directory for Providers. Lists links to activities, lesson plans, healthy recipes, information for parents, and other online tools that can be used to incorporate physical activity and nutrition into child care and after-school programs. FitSource is a service of the Child Care Bureau.
  
  
• Girls on the Run (GOTR). Offers information about this nationwide program to promote physical activity and healthy behaviors among girls in grades 3 to 8.
  
  
• Healthy People 2010. Describes this national health-promotion and disease-prevention initiative created by a broad coalition of experts from many sectors to improve the health of all Americans, eliminate disparities in health, and improve years and quality of healthy life. Healthy People 2010 includes 10 leading health indicators that will be used to measure the health of the nation. Physical activity is the number one leading health indicator, and there are several Healthy People objectives concerning physical activity for children and adolescents. Healthy People 2010 provides background information on the initiative; the complete text (online and searchable), Healthy People 2010: Understanding and improving health (2nd ed.) (2000); data and statistics; a list of the Healthy People partners and related sites; and other Healthy People publications. It is coordinated by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP). Also see the HP2010 Information Access Project for access to published literature related to the Healthy People 2010 objectives about physical activity and children and adolescents.
  
  
• National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD). Contains resources about physical activity for people with special health care needs. Resources include an e-newsletter; guidelines to consider before starting any kind of exercise program; and fact sheets on many popular activities, games, recreational pursuits, and sports that have been adapted to allow people with disabilities to participate as fully as they wish. NCPAD is part of the Department of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Recent publications include

  Achieving a beneficial fitness for persons with developmental disabilities. (2004).

  Health promotion: Can disability, chronic conditions, health and wellness coexist?, rev. ed. (2005).

• National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA). Contains reports, legislative information, e-newsletters, and other resources aimed at inspiring and empowering all Americans to lead more physically active lifestyles. NCPPA's federal advisory panel includes CDC's Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity (DNPA) and the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS).
  
  
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Offers physical activity resources for families and professionals. NHLBI supports several programs aimed at increasing physical activity levels that include JumpSTART, Hearts N' Parks, and We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition).
  
  
• National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Offers position statements, journal article abstracts, and other resources about strength and conditioning to improve athletic performance and fitness. Topics include anabolic steroid abuse.
  
  
• President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS). Contains resources for coaches, teachers, health and fitness professionals, and families about physical fitness. Includes access to the President's Challenge, an interactive online resource to help all Americans build a regular physical activity routine. Publications include

  PCPFS research digests. This quarterly series offers a summary of recent research on specific physical activity topics, including Physical activity for children: Current patterns and guidelines. (2004)..

• Special Olympics International (SOI). Contains program and event information for SOI's year-round sports training and competitions for children, adolescents, and adults with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. Contains information about becoming a volunteer coach and guides for coaches in individual sports. Also includes resources aimed at involving children and adolescents with and without mental retardation in Special Olympics. SOI is an international organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive, and respected members of society through sports training and competition.
  
  
• Steps to a HealthierUS Initiative. Contains program, conference, and grant information as well as reports, fact sheets, and data for this national initiative by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to improve the lives of Americans through innovative and effective community-based chronic disease-prevention and disease-control programs, of which physical activity is an important component. Resources include Small Step and Smallstep KIDS!
  
  
• Weight-control Information Network (WIN). Offers publications for families and health professionals about physical activity and its importance for weight control and healthy living. Includes brochures and program information about its Sisters Together: Move More, Eat Better initiative. WIN is part of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
  

  
  

Additional Electronic Publications

• American Council for Fitness and Nutrition (ACFN). 2006. Successful grassroots health and wellness programs: Exploring common traits. Washington, DC: American Council for Fitness and Nutrition (ACFN). This report examines commonalties among high-quality community programs that promote health and wellness. The following common traits are discussed: cultural relevance, making programs fun for children, strong government focus, having a champion for the health and wellness cause, programs for all ages, and programs targeting the workplace.
  
  
• Babey SH, Diamant AL, Brown R, Hastert T. 2005. California adolescents increasingly inactive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. This report provides information on the physical activity status of California adolescents. The report discusses the percentages of California adolescents who get regular, some, and no physical activity; the physical activity status of girls, Latinos, Asians, and African Americans; the lack of safe parks and open spaces; and the importance of physical education.
  
  
• Bright Futures for Women's Health and Wellness Initiative. 2005. Healthy women build healthy communities toolkit: For physical activity and healthy eating. Rockville, MD: Bright Futures for Women's Health and Wellness Initiative. This tool kit is geared toward women who want to improve the health of their communities by helping people become more physically active and eat healthier foods. Materials include checklists, sample letters, timelines, fliers, posters, news releases, and public service announcements, as well as many tips and suggestions for planning a successful program.
  
  
• Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). 2006. Promoting health through physical activity, rev. ed. Washington, DC: Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). This fact sheet describes the problem of physical inactivity in the United States and federal efforts to improve physical activity levels.
  
  
• Government Accountability Office (GAO). 2005. Childhood obesity: Most experts identified physical activity and the use of best practices as key to successful programs. Washington, DC: Government Accountability Office. This report provides information on program strategies and elements most likely to contribute to success in addressing childhood obesity and how those strategies and elements have been implemented. Experts identified increasing physical activity as the most important program strategy.
  
  
• Government Accountability Office (GAO). 2006. Childhood obesity: Factors affecting physical activity. Washington, DC: Government Accountability Office. This briefing presents findings from a literature review to identify factors affecting rates of physical activity for children and adolescents. The factors presented in the articles are discussed in three groups: (1) demographic factors, (2) cognitive and behavioral factors, and (3) community factors.
  
  
• Heroux J. 2005. Lessons learned: Promoting physical activity at the community level. Princeton, NJ: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). This report examines 25 projects funded by RWJF to promote walking, biking, and other activities and offers 12 lessons learned
  
  
• Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). 2006. Overweight and physical activity among children: A portrait of states and the nation 2005. Rockville, MD: Maternal and Child Health Bureau. This chartbook presents national and state-level data on the prevalence of overweight in children and adolescents (ages 10-17) within the context of family structure, poverty level, parental health and habits, and community surroundings. Data topics include the percentage of children and adolescents who exercised or participated in physical activity for 20 minutes or more per day during the past week, the percentage of children and adolescents who were on a sports team or took sports lessons during the past 12 months, and the percentage of children and adolescents who have parents who exercise regularly.
  
  
• Office of the Surgeon General. 2001. Surgeon General's call to action to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity. Rockville, MD: Office of the Surgeon General. This report discusses the prevalence of overweight among all age groups in the United States, the threat overweight poses to health, and actions that individuals at all levels of government and in the private sector can take to address the problem in their communities. Physical-activity-related recommendations include requiring physical education at all school grades and providing safe and accessible recreation facilities.
  
  
• Patrick K, Spear B, Holt K, Sofka D, eds. 2001. Bright Futures in practice: Physical activity. Arlington, VA: National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH). This book presents physical activity guidelines and tools emphasizing health promotion, disease prevention, and early recognition of physical activity issues and concerns related to infants, children, and adolescents.
  
  
• University of Missouri Extension. 2006. MyActivity pyramid. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Extension.  This sheet is designed to show children (ages 6 to 11 years) how to include physical activities into their daily lives. The colorful, cartoon-like drawings and multiple activity levels depict the kinds and amounts of activity needed each week. This publication is adapted from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid Food Guidance System.
  
  
• Walke JN, Del Rosso JM, Held AK. 2005. Nutrition and physical activity field assessment of children in rural America. Westport, CT: Save the Children. This assessment of nutrition and physical activity status of children in rural areas consists of in-depth interviews and focus groups with 45 partner communities in several states with rural populations.
  

  
  

Databases

The databases listed below are excellent tools for identifying data, additional literature and research, and programs addressing physical activity. Many of the entries below contain tips on how to use the databases efficiently. Please note that databases vary in how terms should be entered; for example, some require quotation marks and others don't. Enter search phrases as shown in bold below.

Data

• CDC's Data and Surveillance: An Explanation of U.S. Physical Activity Surveys. Describes and compares several different national surveys that track physical activity in many age groups and at several levels for the United States national public health objectives. Also provides background information about physical activity assessment. The following surveys are examined: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBSS), National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), and School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS).
  
  
• Child Trends DataBank. Reports on national trends and research on over 80 key indicators of infant, child, and adolescent well-being, including physical activity levels and participation in school athletics. Child Trends is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization providing research and data to inform decision-making that affects families.
  
  
• Data2010: The Healthy People 2010 Database. Contains the most recent monitoring data for tracking Healthy People 2010. To obtain physical activity data, click on the field, Data by Focus Area. Under the field, Select a Focus Area, choose 22-Physical Activity and Fitness from the pop-up menu. Click on the Submit button or use the other fields to narrow your search. This data set is provided by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) via CDC Wonder.
  
  
• KIDS COUNT. Contains information about this national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the United States. See the data profile, Children and teens not exercising regularly, which ranks by state the share of children and adolescents ages 6 to 17 who engaged in less than 5 days of vigorous physical activity in the past week. KIDS COUNT is a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF).
  
  
• Title V Information System (TVIS). Contains data from annual Title V Block Grant applications and reports submitted by all 59 U.S. states and jurisdictions. To learn about states' efforts to address physical activity in children and adolescents, conduct two searches. Select Measurement and Indicator Data and go to the State Data section. First, select State Priority Needs Keyword Search and choose Keyword: Nutrition/Physical Activity and Population: Children (1 through 21). Click on Start Search. Next, select State Performance Measures and click on Search by Keyword/Population. Select Keyword: Nutrition/Physical Activity and Population: Children (1 through 21). Click on Start Search. TVIS is a service of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
  
  
• Also see MCHB's Overweight and physical activity among children: A portrait of states and the nation 2005 (2006).
  
  

Literature and Research Databases

• AGRICOLA (AGRICultural OnLine Access). Contains bibliographic information for agricultural literature including many child and adolescent nutrition publications from the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service; state child nutrition agencies; Nutrition Education and Training Program products; Team Nutrition grantees; cooperative extension program materials; and materials from associations, universities, and the private sector. AGRICOLA is organized into two data sets (books and journal articles). To identify books and/or articles on the topic, click on Keyword Search. Enter the terms, children adolescents and select "any of these" and "Subject" in the two fields to the right. Click "And". In the next row, enter fitness exercise and select ""any of these" and "Subject" in the two fields to the right. Click on "Set Limits" to narrow your search (e.g., add a publication date limit). Use the thesaurus to identify terms for related searches. AGRICOLA is a service of the National Agricultural Library (NAL).
  
  
• HP2010 Information Access Project: Physical Fitness. Provides an automatic search mechanism for published literature indexed in PubMed related to the Healthy People 2010 physical fitness objectives. Also links to the narrative for each objective and the complete chapter about physical activity and fitness in the text, Healthy People 2010: Understanding and improving health, 2nd ed. (2000). This service is provided by the Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce, a collaboration of federal agencies, public health organizations, and health sciences libraries.
  
  
• Maternal and Child Health Library at the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH), Georgetown University. Maintains several databases to collect, manage, and disseminate knowledge about maternal and child health (MCH), with special emphasis on knowledge gained from initiatives and programs supported by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). The library's bibliographic database is

  MCHLine®. Comprises an online catalog of materials in the Maternal and Child Health Library. To identify items about physical activity, conduct three searches in the keyword field of the database search form using the terms "physical activity", "physical education", and "physical fitness". To narrow your searches, enter a single publication year or range of years, and/or add keywords (e.g., assessment, schools). There will be overlap in the records identified in these searches.

  Also see the MCH Organizations Database.

• National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC). Contains evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and related materials for health professionals. Identify guidelines by selecting Detailed Search in the Search box. Enter "physical activity" in the Keyword field. Scroll down on the search form to select Age of Target Population and Publication Date. The database is an initiative of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
  
  
• PubMed. Contains over 17 million citations for biomedical articles that date back to the 1950s. These citations are from MEDLINE and additional life sciences journals. PubMed includes links to many sites providing full-text articles and other related resources. To identify citations on the topic, enter the search phrase exercise OR physical fitness OR physical education and training. Then, click on Limits and make the following selections on the page: select a date (e.g. Published in the last 2 years); click on Humans; click on Languages: English; click on Ages: All Child; and select Tag Terms: MeSH Major Topic. To narrow your search further or for additional searches, use MeSH to identify terms. PubMed is a service of the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Also see the HP2010 Information Access Project for access to published literature related to the Healthy People 2010 objectives about physical activity and children and adolescents.
  
  
• Also see Action for Healthy Kids, the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Database, and the School Health Resource Database.
  

Programs Databases

• MCH Organizations Database. Lists over 2,000 government, professional, and voluntary organizations involved in MCH activities, primarily at a national level. Find organizations focusing on physical activity by conducting three searches in the database using the terms "physical activity", "physical education", and "physical fitness" in the keyword field of the database search form. There will be overlap in the records identified in these searches. This database is presented by the Maternal and Child Health Library.
  
  
• Shaping America's Youth (SAY) Program Registry. Includes information on intervention programs throughout the United States that are working to improve physical activity and/or nutrition in children and adolescents. Search by program name, keyword, organization, state, and category (e.g., programs addressing physical activity). SAY is a national joint public- and private-sector initiative to identify and centralize efforts currently under way across the United States to reverse the rapidly increasing prevalence of overweight and inactivity among children and adolescents.
  
  
• State-Based Physical Activity Program Directory. Provides information about physical activity programs involving state departments of health. Search by state, setting, program components, or keyword. This database is a resource of the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity (DNPA) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
  
  
• State Legislative Information. Contains summaries of state legislative bills related to nutrition and physical activity from 2001 to the present. Links are provided to each state legislature site where the full-text version of the bill is available. This database is a collaborative effort between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).
  
  
• Also see Action for Healthy Kids.
  

  
  

Electronic Newsletters and Online Discussion Groups

• NCPAD-News. This monthly electronic newsletter reports on the activities of the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD) and other organizations offering new publications, research, and conferences about physical activity for people with special health care needs.
  
  
• National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). Offers NASPE-Talk, an electronic discussion group for professionals in physical education, sport, and physical activity. Also offers NASPE-Forum, a moderated electronic discussion forum for in-depth discussions on topics of interest to physical education, sport, and physical activity professionals.
  
  
• National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA). NCPPA publishes two newsletters. The NCPPA E-Newsletter is published twice each month and contains information on NCPPA activities along with news about research, reports, funding opportunities, and upcoming events on physical activity and related issues. NCPPA's public affairs newsletter, the Activity Advocate, is published once a month and covers federal and state legislative activity concerning physical activity and related issues.
  
  
• Also see CDC's Livability Listserv and the University of South Carolina's Prevention Resource Center's electronic communication services.
  

  
  

Special Topics

Physical Activity Information for Families

• 4 Girls Health: Fitness. Contains information for girls ages 10 to 16 about the benefits of physical activity and offers tools for developing an exercise plan. 4 Girls Health is part of the National Women's Health Information Center.
  
  
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Supports several initiatives and offers many resources for families about improving physical activity, including

  BAM! Body and Mind: Physical Activity. Offers an interactive site for children and adolescents to motivate them to be more physically active. Includes a physical activity plan, activity cards that explain how to play a wide range of sports and participate in a variety of activities, and articles about overcoming physical challenges.

  Powerful Bones. Powerful Girls. Offers parents information about helping their daughters make healthy choices that build and maintain strong bones, such as participating in physical activity. Includes a companion Web site for girls.

  VERB: It's What You Do. Contains program information and campaign materials for VERB, a multicultural media campaign aimed at increasing physical activity and healthy behaviors among children and adolescents ages 9 to 13, called tweens. Includes Web sites for tweens and parents in English and Spanish, and formative research reports.

  Also see CDC's Tobacco Information and Prevention Source (TIPS).

• Eat Smart. Play Hard. Contains background information and promotion materials for this national campaign to promote healthy eating and encourage physical activity in children and their families. The campaign is administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
  
  
• FIT WIC. Offers background information and reports about this initiative and an online gallery of educational materials developed as a result. View Active Play for a wealth of physical activity resources for families with infants and young children. FIT WIC was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
  
  
• Kidnetic.com. Offers games, online activities, and communication opportunities about healthy eating and active living for children ages 9 to 12 and their families. Also provides facts for parents about children and nutrition, physical activity, and self-esteem. Kidnetic.com is an educational outreach program of the International Food Information Council (IFIC).
  
  
• MedlinePlus: Exercise for children. Contains a selective list of authoritative health information sources for consumers and health professionals about physical activity in children and adolescents. Includes links to Web sites, articles, statistics, and other resources on the topic. MedlinePlus is provided by the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
  
  
• MyPyramid Tracker. Offers an online dietary and physical activity assessment tool that provides information on an individual's diet quality and physical activity status, related nutrition messages, and links to nutrient and physical activity information. MyPyramid for Kids is designed for children ages 6 to 11 and features posters, tips for parents, classroom materials, and an interactive computer game where kids can reach Planet Power by fueling their rocket with food and physical activity. MyPyramid is a service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
  
  
• Shape Up America! Tips for Family Fitness Fun. Presents a set of ideas for parents to use to help children and adolescents become more active and live a healthier lifestyle. Shape Up America! is a national initiative to promote healthy weight and increased physical activity, and it involves a broad-based coalition of industry, health, nutrition, physical fitness, and related organizations and experts.
  
  
• Small Step. Provides information in English and Spanish about nutrition and physical activity that aims to help people make health improvements through incremental change in various habits. Includes an activity tracker for users to keep track of physical activities and goals. A companion Web site, Smallstep KIDS!, offers games and activities to help children make wise food choices and increase physical activity. This initiative is presented by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). A recent publication is

  Help your child grow up healthy and strong. (2006).

• We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition). Offers tips, activity ideas, and other resources for parents and caregivers of children ages 8-13 to help them achieve and maintain a healthy weight by focusing on improved food choices, increased physical activity, and reduced screen time. We Can! is an initiative of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
  
  
• Also see the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the American Council on Exercise (ACE), Disabled Sports USA, FitSource, Girls on the Run (GOTR), Healthy America, Media-Smart Youth, the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD), PE Central, the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS), Special Olympics International (SOI), the Weight-Control Information Network (WIN), and the ERIC Database.
  

Additional Electronic Resources

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Discovery Networks. 2004. Max's magical delivery: Fit for kids. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). This interactive DVD for children ages 5 to 9 and their families offers fun suggestions for healthy eating, physical activity, and limiting TV and computer screen time.
  
  
• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). 2004. My bright future: Physical activity and healthy eating for young women. Washington, DC: Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). This booklet and wallet card present information about nutrition and physical activity for young women ages 11 to 20. The materials encourage a dialogue between young women and their health professionals to assess current nutrition and activity levels and make improvements.
  
  
• Zero to Three. 2004. On the move: The power of movement in your child's first three years. Washington, DC: Zero to Three. This brochure for parents emphasizes the ways in which movement, dance, and active play can support infants' and toddlers' growing physical awareness and excitement about the world. The brochure describes specific ways in which physical activity stimulates young children's development and offers suggestions for appropriate physical activities for each stage of development. The brochure is also available in Spanish.
  
  
• Also see Bright Futures in practice: Physical activity and the Surgeon General's call to action to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity.