Associations Among Physical Education, Activity-Related Healthy Lifestyle Practices, and Cardiorespiratory Fitness of Chinese Youth

ABSTRACTPurpose: Physical education (PE) in school provides opportunities for physical activity (PA) engagement and reportedly results in improved health-related fitness. This study explored the underlying correlations between PE and activity-related healthy lifestyle practices with current level of cardiorespiratory fitness. Methods: A total of 13,138 students age 14 (boys = 7,094, 54.0%) in Grade 8 from the China National Assessment of Educational Quality - Physical Education & Health 2015 were included in this study. Two independent structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses were conducted to obtained sex-specific results. Data included the results of the 15-m progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run (PACER) and questionnaire data regarding PE curriculum implementation, learning and practice, perceived support from PE teachers, PE facilities, PE equipment, activity-related healthy lifestyle practices, habitual physical fitness, appropriate method of physical fitness, and breakfast eating habit...