Three New York high schools tested a 12-week intervention that included daily vigorous exercise with urban girls (14 to 19 years old) from 1994-1996. The Physical Activity and Teenage Health (PATH) intervention was delivered as a personal wellness class to randomly selected same-school groups (n=310 students) and compared to traditional physical education classes (n=132 students).  The intervention included 30-minute classes daily for 12 weeks. Following brief (5-10 minute) lecture, students engaged in resistance or endurance/aerobic exercise.  Homework assignments were often used to enhance the brief lectures. The comparison traditional PE class featured sports-oriented activities such as basketball for the entire class time.

Measurements included pre- and post-course health knowledge, survey of health practices, physical measures (blood pressure, body mass index, percent body fat as estimated with skin fold calipers, serum cholesterol) and fitness measure (maximum oxygen uptake estimated from recovery heart rate following a 3-minute step test). Compared to traditional PE class, the PATH intervention class groups had sufficient vigorous activity to significantly reduce body fat, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The intervention group had higher heart health knowledge and was more likely to eat breakfast than comparison group at the post-course measure.  There were no significant group differences in BMI, total cholesterol, fitness, dietary habits or out-of-school physical activity.  The intervention group students had ten percent higher class attendance than traditional PE class group.

(Bayne-Smith M et al. Am J Public Health 2004;94(9):1538-1543)

Comment:  The PATH program was created by Paul Fardy,  Queens College faculty who was aware of the preventability of heart disease. Urban girls are vulnerable to premature heart disease and related chronic conditions.    --J.O.