Running head: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND STRESS

PPE 310: Health Literacy for Schools

Signature Assignment Outline- Physical Activity and Stress
Alisha Hooton
Arizona State University
Course #79595 Mary Dean
Fall 2015

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1. Introduction
a. Will be discussing the link between physical activity and stress
i. Define each.
ii. Discuss how increasing physical activity decreases stress, which is good
for overall well-being.
b. State that helping students be physically active will aid them in having less stress,
which will help them to perform better in school.
c. Introduce Edu-Prize school and my plan for increased physical activity
i. Yearly mile/5k/10k run for charity
2. Review of Current Literature
a. College students who performed vigorous physical activity were less likely to
experience poor mental health.
1. Nguyen-Michel, S. T., Unger, J. B., Hamilton, J., & Spruijt-Metz,
D. (2006). Associations between physical activity and perceived
stress/hassles in college students.
ii. Socializing can also help decrease stress, but it didnt appear to as much as
physical activity.
1. VanKim, N. A., & Nelson, T. F. (2013).Vigorous physical activity,
mental health, perceived stress, and socializing among college
students.
b. Participation in physical activity during leisure time made the most difference in
teachers health.
i. Bogaert, I., De Martelaer, K., Deforche, B., Clarys, P., & Zinzen, E.
(2014). Associations between different types of physical activity and
teachers perceived mental, physical, and work-related health.
c. Even in the military, where much of the occupation is physical activity,
participating in more sports and other types of exercises was correlated with less
stress.
i. Martins, L. C. X., & Lopes, C. S. (2013). Rank, job stress, psychological
distress, and physical activity among military personnel.

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d. Increasing physical activity, especially jogging, in leisure time decreased the

amount of stress and life dissatisfaction.
i. Schnohr, P., Kristensen, T. S., Prescott, E., Scharling, H. (2005). Stress and
life dissatisfaction are inversely associated with jogging and other types of
physical activity in leisure time- The Copenhagen City heart study.
3. Synthesis of Current Literature
a. All articles suggest that increased physical activity leads to decreased stress.
b. Compare the articles about physical activity done during leisure time to
occupational physical activity.
c. Discuss jogging vs other forms of physical activity.
d. Discuss other things that may have the same benefit such as socializing.
4. School Context
a. K-11 school. All students bring own lunch. 1, 417 students. No info available
about ELLs. 22 students average class. Urban school. 76% of students are White,
13% are Hispanic, 5% Asian, 2% of two or more races, 2% Black, 1% American
Indian, and less than 1% Pacific Islander. The school has received an A letter
grade. It is a charter school that is not Title I. PE is offered daily for 7th grade.
5. Practical Implications
a. Edu-Prize junior high/high school student councils will co-plan a mile/5k/10k run
for charity open to any Edu-Prize student or family member. This will become a
yearly tradition.
i. The run will take place at Freestone Park. It would cost $150 to hold a run
event here. (http://www.gilbertaz.gov/home/showdocument?id=9851)
ii. The registration for the event would include a t-shirt and race bib.
iii. The price of registration would be $25 dollars. This would cover the park
fee, race bib, and t-shirt prices, with $5 from each registrant going to
charity.
1. The student councils will decide what charity the money goes to.
iv. Verbal advertising would be done in students homerooms as well as by
PE teachers.

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v. Flyers will be posted around the school and sent home encouraging
students to sign up.
vi. There will be a bring your own food picnic in the park afterwards to
celebrate the event.
6. Conclusions
a. Increased physical activity in leisure time leads to reduced stress.
b. Reduced stress leads to better performance in school and work.
c. Having students and their families train for and participate in a run will help them
to receive these benefits.

References
Bogaert, I., De Martelaer, K., Deforche, B., Clarys, P., & Zinzen, E. (2014). Associations
between different types of physical activity and teachers perceived mental, physical, and
work-related health. BMC Public Health, 14 (1), 534-552. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14534
Martins, L. C. X., & Lopes, C. S. (2013). Rank, job stress, psychological distress, and physical
activity among military personnel. BMC Public Health, 13 (1), 716-727. doi:
10.1186/1471-2458-13-716
Nguyen-Michel, S. T., Unger, J. B., Hamilton, J., & Spruijt-Metz, D. (2006). Associations
between physical activity and perceived stress/hassles in college students. Stress and
Health, 22(3), 179-188. doi: 10.1002/smi.1094

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Schnohr, P., Kristensen, T. S., Prescott, E., Scharling, H. (2005). Stress and life dissatisfaction are
inversely associated with jogging and other types of physical activity in leisure time- The
Copenhagen City heart study. Scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports,
15(2) 107-112. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2004.00394.x
VanKim, N. A., & Nelson, T. F. (2013).Vigorous physical activity, mental health, perceived
stress, and socializing among college students. American journal of health promotion,
28(1), 7-15. doi: 10.4278/ajhp.111101-QUAN-395

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Approaching
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