About 32% of U.S. colleges and universities require some kind of physical education course to graduate, down from 39% observed in a 2010 OSU survey, according to a new Oregon State University study.
According to the Physical Activity Alliance’s 2022 Report Card, the continued decline in required physical education courses comes at a time when children and young people in the United States are less and less likely to engage in physical activity.
Provided by OSU
According to the Physical Activity Alliance’s 2022 Report Card, the continued decline in required physical education courses comes at a time when children and young people in the United States are becoming less and less engaged in physical activity. guidelines.
“There is a lot of scientific evidence to support the value of physical activity. Yes, said study co-author Brad Cardinal.
However, he said there are no universal standards for what should be required when it comes to college physical education courses.
Citing research in his lab and others from the 1980s to the 2000s, Cardinal said, “People who attend institutions with physical activity education graduation requirements tend to be healthier in the long run.” Long-term studies show that there is
Recently, researchers at George Washington University, the National Cancer Institute, and the American College Health Association found that college students who attend institutions with physical education graduation requirements are more likely to meet national physical activity guidelines. discovered.
“Removing the requirement is a counterintuitive idea,” Cardinal said. “It definitely does not represent evidence-based best practice.”
If requirements aren’t in place, Cardinal said, his research found that on-campus PE provision involved students who were already physically active or comfortable in a gym or sports-related environment. I know it is likely. This leaves out students who may only learn to use such spaces and become comfortable in early adulthood, he said.
The study looked at a representative sample of 331 colleges and universities across the country and recorded whether they were required to complete a full or partial physical education course in order to graduate. Partial requirements include schools where only certain degree programs have PE requirements, or schools where students can choose from a menu of options that include physical education among other health-related courses such as financial literacy and sexual health. was included.
Researchers define physical education as “any activity or academic course related to health, wellness, sports, or physical activity,” with an emphasis on teaching healthy behavioral strategies to maintain a lifelong physical activity lifestyle. I have included a “conceptual” physical education course that I put.
They found that 56.2% of institutions do not require a PE. 31.7% fully required all undergraduates to complete a physical education course in order to graduate. 12.1% had partial requirements.
The most common requirement that students have is to complete both activity-based and concept-based courses, or concept-only courses. Private institutions were about twice as likely to require full PE courses as public institutions, and Southern institutions were most likely to require full PE courses, regardless of region.
This study did not specifically consider access for persons with disabilities or meeting PE requirements.
Cardinal said several factors are likely motivating colleges to move away from physical education requirements — less of a necessity at the college level.
But the current numbers of K-12 schools indicate otherwise, he said. According to the 2022 Report Card, only 21% of U.S. children and adolescents who meet the physical activity guidelines of 60 minutes of physical activity each day attain a D grade, and she is 6 to 17 years old, according to the 2022 Report Card. .
42% of 6-11 year olds are on target, but only 15% of 12-17 year olds are achieving their daily time.
“The argument that physical education is something you’re taught and you already know before you go to college isn’t really happening,” Cardinal said. “Culture has shifted to where physical activity continues to be removed from everyday life.”
The lead author of the study was Alexandra Szarabajko, a recent OSU Ph.D. and now Chair of Exercise Science at Columbia College in South Carolina.
