School Physical Activity Policy

This article provides a general summary of school physical activity policies, addresses the appeal of policy as means to increase school physical activity, identifies general policy research approaches and findings, and outlines perspectives on future policy research in schools. It begins with an overview of the elementary school physical activity environment, distinguishes policies from practices, and outlines why school physical activity policy can be considered as a viable solution for improving population-level physical activity and health. Next, it describes relevant aspects of policy and provides an overview of policy-related research aims and findings. Lastly, it provides perspectives on policy research efforts that are needed to support evidence-based advocacy efforts.