Effects of a Home-Based Activity Program

Abstract

A home-based behavioral program utilizing contingency contracts and parent-determined rewards was employed in a changing criterion design to modify children's physical activity levels and subsequent measures of health fitness. Children were initially diagnosed as being low in health fitness. Following diagnosis, the child's parents, with support from a trained physical education teacher (parenter), recorded baseline physical activity levels during nonschool hours. During intervention the level of physical activity was systematically increased by setting specific criterion levels of activity for each week. Levels of physical activity increased markedly during the extended 9-12 week intervention phase. Improvements in health fitness criterion measures were recorded. The implications for application and future research involving parents in areas related to physical education were discussed.