Physical activity reduces the risk of premature mortality,
coronary heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer, and diabetes. Positive
experiences with physical activity at a young age are the foundation
for being regularly active throughout life. In 2007, only 48% of high
school students had participated in at least 60 minutes per day of physical
activity for more than 5 of the last 7 days. Participation in physical activity tends to decline
as children age. (CDC National Data)
Benefits of Regular Physical Activity
- Helps build and maintain healthy bones and muscles, and control
weight
- Helps reduce the risk of developing obesity and chronic diseases
such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease
- Reduces feelings of depression
and anxiety, increases self-esteem, and promotes psychological well-being
- May improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels
Long-Term Consequences of Physical Inactivity
- Overweight and obesity,
influenced by physical inactivity and poor diet, are significantly
associated with an increased risk of diabetes, high
blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, arthritis, and poor health
status.
- Physical inactivity increases the risk of dying prematurely,
dying of heart disease, and developing diabetes, colon cancer, and
high blood
pressure.
North Dakota's Plan for Physical Activity
What can be done to increase Physical Activity for school-age youth?
To
strive towards the CDC standard for:
A planned, sequential K-12 curriculum that provides cognitive content
and learning experiences in a variety of activity areas such as basic
movement skills; physical fitness; rhythms and dance; games; team,
dual, and individual sports; tumbling and gymnastics; and aquatics.
Quality physical education should promote, through a variety of planned
physical activities, each student's optimum physical, mental, emotional,
and social development, and should promote activities and sports that
all students enjoy and can pursue throughout their lives. DPI
Coordinated School Health and partners promote physical activity in
schools by …
- Updating the ND Physical Education standards;
- Advocating for district policy changes to maintain
or increase recess and Physical Education time as well as incorporating
Physical
Education and physical activity concepts into health curriculum;
- Partnering with
other state and local initiatives to provide information and strategies
to schools, parents and communities to increase
options for more physical activity time for school-age youth;
- Providing professional
development of Physical Education and physical activity teaching
and classroom strategies at the annual Roughrider
Health Promotion Conference.
What can schools do to promote physical activity?
- Align local curriculum with the North Dakota Physical Education standards;
- Obtain
grants to improve the local Physical Education program;
- Encourage Physical
Education instructors to obtain professional development at the Roughrider
Conference and join PE organizations such as
NDAHPERD;
- Individual physical activity – up to 30 minutes a day
of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during the school day;
- School-based
physical education classes for all grades, K-12 which promote life
long physical activity and exercise in groups and individual
sports
which contribute to each student’s physical, motor and
behavioral development;
- Expansion of physical activity opportunities
by providing clubs, lessons, intramural sports, and interscholastic
sport programs that meet
the physical activity needs and interests of all students;
- Promotion of walking
and bicycling to school and assurances of safe routes for both;
- Recess
for elementary students of no less than 20 minutes during each school
day;
- Knowledge of the benefits of physical activity as part of evidence-based
health education programs which focus on increasing physical
activity and decreasing sedentary and risk behaviors;
- Work with community partners
and parents to provide information, resources and professional development.
North Dakota & National
Resources
Health Education Standards
The North Dakota Health Content and Achievement Standards document provides a framework for the skills and knowledge that students in grades K-12 are expected to attain in health. Based on its predecessor, the 2000 North Dakota Health Content Standards; the current standards and benchmarks define levels of achievement at each grade level. In addition to referencing previous state content standards, the current state standards reference the National Health Education Standards 2006 as well as standards documents from other states.
The health education standards and benchmarks address the six dimensions of health (i.e., physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, occupational, and environmental) and serve as a guide to districts in developing their health curriculum. Furthermore, consideration is given to the following, as advocated by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The six priority health behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems in the United States are:
- Tobacco use
- Unhealthy dietary behaviors
- Inadequate physical activity
- Alcohol and other drug use
- Sexual behaviors that may result in HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy
- Behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence
Health instruction should reflect what both educational research and best practices reveal about the teaching and learning of health. It should include hands on experiences and innovative health technology.
Physical Education Standards
The North Dakota Physical Education Content and Achievement Standards were written to provide physical education teachers and school districts with a guide for quality physical education programs. Physical education and wellness is evolving to provide a more comprehensive lifestyle management approach, encouraging physical fitness and activity, sound nutritional practices, and assessment through the use of the latest technology.
The standards are organized around a core of fundamental physical education standards for all students in the state of North Dakota. Grade level expectations are identified for kindergarten through senior high school. These statements reflect a comprehensive approach to combating inactivity, obesity, and a lack of physical fitness of children in schools and local communities. In addition, the standards and benchmarks reflect what a student should know and be able to do, as well as what should be assessed at each grade level.
PEP Grants
Program Description
This program provides grants to initiate, expand, and improve physical education programs for K–12 students in order to help them make progress toward meeting state standards for physical education.
Types of Projects
Funds may be used to provide equipment and support to enable students to participate actively in physical education activities. Funds also may support staff and teacher training and education.
Through the US Department
of Education, the Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) provides
grants to local educational agencies and community-based organizations
to pay
90 percent of the total cost of initiating, expanding, and improving
physical education programs designed to assist students in making
progress toward meeting State standards for physical education. Grant
funds
may be used to provide equipment and support to enable students to
participate actively in physical education activities and to train
teachers and staff.
Web: http://www.ed.gov/programs/whitephysed/2006-215f.doc
North Dakota PEP Grant Award Recipients:
2009: Warwick School District ($435,368)
2009: Grafton Public Schools ($308,246)
2008: West Fargo ($490,601)
Grand Forks ($575,518)
Cavalier ($54,920)
2007: Park River School District ($257,778)
2007: Grafton Public Schools ($256,000)
2006: Fargo Public Schools ($259,453)
2005: Bismarck Diocese Catholic Schools ($448,506)
2004: Hillsboro Public School #9 ($219,333)
May-Port CG School District ($126,900)
2003: Bismarck Public Schools ($457,628)
Fargo Public Schools District #1 ($323,015)
Richardton-Taylor Public School District ($374,888)
North Dakota Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
NDAHPERD/AAHPERD's
mission is to promote and support creative and healthy lifestyles through
high quality programs in health, physical education, recreation, dance
and sport, and to provide members with professional development opportunities
that increase knowledge, improve skills, and encourage sound professional
practices.
Web: http://www2.edutech.nodak.edu/ndahperd/index.html .
School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS)
The School Health Policies and Programs Study is conducted every six years by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This national study is completed with every state to assess school health policies and programs at the state, district, school, and classroom levels.
On October 19, 2007, the SHPPS webpage www.cdc.gov/SHPPS was updated with new information and resources, including a link to the Journal of School Health articles, fact sheets, a state-level summaries document, questionnaires, analytic data files and technical documentation, and archives of previous SHPPS studies.
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System
The YRBS monitors behaviors that contribute markedly to the leading
causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth and adults
in the United States. Follow this link to view the report.
School Health Index
The School
Health Index (SHI) (external link) can help schools implement school
health guidelines and related strategies. This self-assessment and
planning
tool enables
schools
to identify the strengths and weaknesses of health promotion policies
and programs and assists schools in developing an action plan for
improving the school environment.
Physical Activity: School and Community Guidelines
This
document (external link) includes
strategies most likely to be effective in promoting physical activity
among young people.
Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool
The PECAT
(external link) can help school
districts conduct a clear, complete, and consistent analysis of written
physical education curricula, based upon national
physical education standards. The PECAT is customizable to include
local standards. The results from the analysis can help school districts
enhance existing curricula, develop their own curricula, or select
a published curriculum, for the delivery of quality physical education
in schools.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is pleased to announce
that Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT) Workshops are
now available to all DASH-funded CSH states. Thirteen individuals from
across the country attended the PECAT Training of Trainers (TOT) and
became equipped with the skills and materials to conduct state-level
PECAT Workshops for a minimum of 4 hours and a maximum of 8 hours. The
purpose of the PECAT Workshops is to train school district and school-level
physical education and physical activity staff in the implementation
of the PECAT.
Each PECAT trainer will be paid by the CDC for his/her time to plan,
travel, train, and provide follow-up support. Any additional costs (e.g.,
facility space, materials, meals, participant travel) will be the responsibility
of the site coordinator. Workshops can be scheduled for any time between
November 1st, 2006 and October 31st, 2007. Contact Anu Pejavara (APejavara@cdc.gov or 770-488-6214) or Sarah Lee (skeuplee@cdc.gov or 770-488-6126) to be
connected to a PECAT Trainer in your region.
For more information on the
PECAT, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/PECAT/
Physical Activity Brochures
Brochures
(exernal link) designed to help parents, teachers, and principals
increase physical activity among elementary and middle school-aged
youth.
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Healthy eating is associated with reduced risk for many
diseases, including the three leading causes of death: heart disease,
cancer, and stroke. Healthy eating in childhood and adolescence is important
for proper growth and development and can prevent health problems associated
with obesity, dental caries, and iron deficiency anemia. Most young people
are not following the recommendations set forth in the Dietary Guidelines
for Americans. In the U.S.,67% of youth aged 6-19 exceed dietary
guidelines recommendations for fat intake and 72% exceed recommendations
for saturated
fat intake. Only 17% of ND high school students reported eating fruits
and vegetables five or more times during the past 7 days (ND YRBS 2007).
Diet & Disease
- Overweight and obesity, influenced by poor diet and inactivity,
are significantly associated with an increased risk of diabetes, high
blood
pressure, high
cholesterol, asthma, joint problems, and poor health status.
- As rates
of overweight and obesity rise, Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as
adult onset diabetes, has become increasingly prevalent among children
and adolescents. A CDC study estimated that one in three American children
born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime.
- Overweight children
and adolescents are more likely to become overweight or obese adults.
Overweight Among Youth
Nationally, the prevalence of overweight among children aged 6-11
years has more than doubled in the past 20 years and among adolescents
aged
12-19 has more than tripled.
The North Dakota Youth Risk Behavior (YRBS) shows an increase in the
number of overweight students from 1999 to 2007.
7 - 8 grade |
9 – 12 grade |
10.3% in 1999 to 12.8% in 2005 |
7.2% in 1999 to 10% in 2007 |
North Dakota’s Plan for Nutrition
What can be done to improve Nutrition for school-age youth?
To strive towards the CDC standard for:
Access to a variety of nutritious and appealing meals that accommodate
the health and nutrition needs of all students. School nutrition programs
reflect the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other criteria
to achieve nutrition integrity. The school nutrition services offer students
a learning laboratory for classroom nutrition and health education, and
serve as a resource for linkages with nutrition-related community services. DPI
Coordinated School Health and partners promote healthy nutrition in schools
by …
- Updating the ND Health Education standards;
- Advocating for district
policy to include standards for all foods available in schools;
- Partnering
with other state and local initiatives to provide information and strategies
to increase and improve reliable nutrition information;
- Developing
effective nutrition strategies resources;
- Providing nutrition best
practice strategies and professional development opportunities at
Roughrider Health Promotion Conference.
What can schools do to promote healthy nutrition?
- Implement
an effective wellness policy;
- Provide nutrition education professional development
opportunities for all staff;
- Promote and provide healthy nutrition
choices for staff and students;
- Utilize local nutrition experts (Public
Health, Extension, Healthcare, etc);
- Implement wellness policies
which include standards for all foods available in schools;
- Offer breakfast
programs in all schools;
- Provide healthy snack options in the classroom and
at school events;
- Incorporate lunches that meet the USDA guidelines;
- Include staff and students in choosing healthy vending options;
- Ensure that school-based health education curriculum
for all grades, K-12 include nutrition education;
- Align Health
curriculum with the ND Health Education Standards;
- Work with community
partners to extend the nutrition education, training and information
to parents.
- Consider a SCHOOL GARDEN OR GREENHOUSE
 project;
North Dakota & National Resources
North Dakota Healthy School Nutrition
Alliance
The
NDHSNA combines the efforts of Healthy North Dakota, Action for Healthy
Kids, Team Nutrition and Coordinated School Health to promote healthy
nutrition environments in schools. This collaborative effort by dietitians,
nutritionists, school food service professionals, teachers, administrators,
school nurses and physicians, provides schools and communities with
reliable nutrition information, consistent messages, human resources
and other
services. Together, the Alliance members encourage and promote healthy
nutrition environments so all students in North Dakota have the opportunity
to learn nutrition in the classroom, learn skills to make healthy choices
and have healthy choices available throughout the school so the can
practice those skills. Alliance members are available to provide
districts with
resources, technical assistance and information regarding healthy school
nutrition environments. Contact: Loris Freier at DPI (328-2664) to connect with local members.
Healthy North Dakota: http://www.health.state.nd.us/healthyND
Action for Healthy Kids: http://www.actionforhealthykids.org
Team Nutrition: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Default.htm
Coordinated School Health – CDC DASH: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/CSHP
ND Child Nutrition and Food Distribution
The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, under agreement
with the Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of
Agriculture
(USDA), administers child nutrition and food distribution programs. A
partnership of federal, state, and local agencies provides nutrition
services and food assistance to students, young children and adults. Students
in K-12 public and private schools, and those in residential facilities,
are served by these programs and initiatives: National School
Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program, Afterschool
Snacks, Summer Food Service Program and Team Nutrition.
Visit DPI's Child
Nutrition & Food Distribution website for more information
Local Wellness Policies
Team
Nutrition - USDA
Assistance to schools and school districts in meeting the Local Wellness Policy
requirement, Team Nutrition has compiled some existing resources on developing
and implementing a Local Wellness Policy that promotes healthy eating and physical
activity.
Local
Wellness Policy Development Tools
Providing links to tools and resources for schools to assist with the development
of local wellness policies in accordance with the June
2004 Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act (Sec 04). 
School
Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS)
The School Health Policies and Programs Study is conducted every six years by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This national study is completed with every state to assess school health policies and programs at the state, district, school, and classroom levels.
On October 19, 2007, the SHPPS webpage www.cdc.gov/SHPPS was updated with new information and resources, including a link to the Journal of School Health articles, fact sheets, a state-level summaries document, questionnaires, analytic data files and technical documentation, and archives of previous SHPPS studies.
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System
The YRBS monitors behaviors that contribute markedly to the leading
causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth and adults
in
the United States. Follow
this link to view the report.
School Health Index
The SHI can
help schools implement school health guidelines and related strategies.
This self-assessment
and planning tool enables schools to identify the strengths and
weaknesses of health promotion policies and programs and assists
schools in developing an action plan for improving the school
environment.
The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) includes
general school health policies plus policies to encourage healthy eating
and physical activity.
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|
Tobacco use, including cigarette smoking, cigar smoking,
and smokeless tobacco use, is the single leading preventable cause of
death in the United States. Every day, approximately 4,000 American youth
aged 12-17 try their first cigarette. If current patterns of smoking
behavior continue, an estimated 6.4 million of today's children can be
expected to die prematurely from a smoking-related disease (CDC).
Health
Effects of Tobacco Use by Young People
- Cigarette smoking by young people leads to immediate and serious
health problems including respiratory and non-respiratory effects,
addiction
to nicotine, and
the associated risk of other drug use.
- Smoking at an early age increases the
risk of lung cancer. For most smoking-related cancers, the risk rises
as the individual continues to smoke.
- Teenage smokers suffer from shortness
of breath almost three times more often as teens who don't smoke, and
produce phlegm more than twice
as often as teens
who don't smoke. Not surprisingly, smoking also hurts young people's physical
fitness in terms of both performance and endurance---even among young people
trained in competitive running.
- Smoking causes mild airway obstruction, reduced
lung function, and slowed growth of lung function among adolescents.
Nicotine Addiction Among Young People
The younger people begin smoking cigarettes, the more likely they are
to become strongly addicted to nicotine. Young people who try to quit
suffer the same
nicotine withdrawal symptoms as adults who try to quit.
Several studies have found nicotine to be addictive in ways similar to heroin,
cocaine, and alcohol. Of all addictive behaviors, cigarette smoking is the
one most likely to become established during adolescence.
Tobacco Sales and
Promoting to Youth
All states have laws making it illegal to sell cigarettes
to anyone under the age of 18. Unfortunately, according to the ND 2007
Youth Tobacco Survey,
63.3%
of current smokers under the age of 18 who purchased or attempted to purchase
cigarettes in a store during the 30 days preceding the survey
were not asked to show proof of age. Children and teenagers constitute the
majority of all new smokers, and the industry’s advertising and promotion
campaigns often have special appeal to these young people.
Health Effects
in Youth of Secondhand Smoke
Every day, more than 15 million kids are exposed
to secondhand smoke at home, with millions also exposed to secondhand
smoke in schools and other
places,
as well. That exposure increases the chances that the children will suffer
from
smoke-caused coughs and wheezing, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, potentially
fatal lower respiratory tract infections, eye and ear problems, and other
health problems. Each year, 280 children actually die from respiratory
illness caused
by secondhand smoke.
North Dakota’s Plan for Tobacco Prevention
What can be done to
prevent and reduce tobacco use among school-age youth?
The goal of tobacco prevention is to reduce disease, disability and death
related to tobacco use by a) preventing the initiation of tobacco use among
young people,
b) promoting quitting among young people and adults, c) eliminating nonsmokers'
exposure to secondhand smoke, and d) identifying and eliminating tobacco-related
disparities among specific population groups. In order to reduce tobacco
use among school-age youth, a comprehensive approach is necessary. DPI
Coordinated School Health and partners work to prevent and reduce tobacco
use among school-age
youth by …
- Updating the ND Health Education Standards;
- Advocating for district
policy to include tobacco free grounds policies in all schools and
property;
- Partnering with other state and local initiatives to provide
information and strategies to increase knowledge and awareness about
the dangers
of tobacco;
- Providing best practice and policy strategies to educators and
partners at the Roughrider Health Promotion Conference.
What can you do to promote a tobacco free lifestyle?
- Work
with parents regarding the dangers of second hand smoke;
- Implement the
CDC Guidelines for School Health Programs to Prevent Tobacco Use and
Addiction;
- Implement evidence-based tobacco prevention curricula;
- Implement and enforce comprehensive tobacco free school policy.
- Work
with community partners to prohibit the sale of tobacco products to
underage youth;
- Support local and statewide policies to protect people
from secondhand smoke in all workplaces and public places;
- Collaborate
with local and state partners to provide information and strategies
to keep youth tobacco free.
North Dakota & National Resources
The North Dakota Department of Health - Division of Tobacco Prevention
and Control provides comprehensive information and materials about
tobacco, cessation, and local programs available as described below.
Refer to http://www.ndhealth.gov/tobacco/
School Health Policies and Programs
Study (SHPPS)
The School Health Policies and Programs Study is conducted every six years by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This national study is completed with every state to assess school health policies and programs at the state, district, school, and classroom levels.
On October 19, 2007, the SHPPS webpage www.cdc.gov/SHPPS was updated with new information and resources, including a link to the Journal of School Health articles, fact sheets, a state-level summaries document, questionnaires, analytic data files and technical documentation, and archives of previous SHPPS studies.
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System
The YRBS monitors behaviors that contribute markedly to the
leading causes of death, disability, and social problems
among youth and
adults in the United
States. Follow this link
to view the report.
School Health Guidelines:
Tobacco Use
Includes strategies most likely to be effective in preventing tobacco
use and addiction among young people.
Back to the Top |
