Running head: Dont Miss a Beat

PPE 310: Health Literacy for Schools

Physical Activity and its Relationship to Blood Pressure Levels and Overall Health:
Dont Miss a Beat
Laura Abate and Shawn Glass
Course # 20737
Professor McDonald
4/27/2015

Introduction

Dont Miss a Beat

Run, everyone Run!!! The zombies are coming, hurry up and run, do not let them get
you.
Hello I am Jesse Eisenberg you may know me as Columbus from the movie Zombieland
(Fleischer, 2009), and I am here today to talk about physical activity and to teach you the most
important rule of how to survive in a zombie apocalypse. Now the number one rule, which is
why it is rule number one is Cardio. During a chase with a zombie your most valuable weapon is
your ability to out run it, or the person next to you. This means your heart rate will increase more
which will make your blood pressure increase more and if you are not regularly active this will
cause you to get fatigued (Barros MVG, 2013). It currently estimated that 29% or 70 million
Americans suffer from high blood pressure, the goal of adding cardio now to your regular routine
is to get your blood pressure to what is considered normal which is 120/80mg Hg (Prevention,
2015). So if you want to survive the zombie apocalypse get started on your cardio now.
Mrs. Abate and Mr. Glass are the faculty advisors for the club Dont Miss a Beat at
Mountain Ridge High School. Dont Miss a Beat is a student run club that promotes physical
activity with goals that all members set to help them work towards reaching and maintaining a
healthy Blood Pressure that will in turn help them develop healthy living habits.. Mountain
Ridge High School is in a high middle class area and would do well for the students and their
families to know more about their health. Through knowing what is healthy to eat, how much
exercise their body needs, and knowledge of how to implement these key factors into their
everyday lives will benefit the community significantly. But how will Dont Miss a Beat make
such a significant impact on the community as a whole? Continue reading to the practical
implications to find out

Dont Miss a Beat

Mountain Ridge High School is a 9th-12th grade public school, serving 2,253 students
within the Deer Valley Unified School District located in suburban Glendale, Arizona
(Education, Mountain Ridge High School, 2014, High-School.com, 2014). Additionally
Mountain Ridge High School is not classified as a Title 1 school (Education, Title 1 Programs,
2014). Currently Mountain Ridge High School is graded as an A school (Education, Mountain
Ridge High School, 2014). The average class size ratio is 24 students per teacher (SchoolDigger, 2014); however the number of ELL students is undetermined. The current demographic
makeup of the high school is as follows: 78% Caucasian, 12% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 3% African
American and students with two or more ethnicities, 1% Native American, and less than 1%
Pacific Islander (High-School.com, 2014). Lastly, for a school of 2,253 students only 12.5% of
the students in 2013 were on either free or reduced lunch (School-Digger, 2014), significantly
under the state average of 45.3% (High-School.com, 2014).
Literature Review
In the article: Does Self-reported Physical Activity Associate with High Blood Pressure in
Adolescents when Adiposity is Adjusted for? It states that low physical activity (known as PA
from here on) and adiposity (obesity) leads to high risk of having high blood pressure (known as
HBP from here on) (Barros MVG, 2013). This is a proven fact in adults, but not in children.
Other reports have tried to find a link between HBP and PA in adolescents, but most of the results
were inconclusive. The main purpose of this study is to see if there is a correlation between HBP
and low PA without obesity being a factor. Students participating in this study were all of high
school age and were randomly picked from the public school system. The schools ranged in size,
geographical location, and the time of day the students attended. All the participants in the study
had to complete a questionnaire prior to beginning the study. In the questionnaire, the students

Dont Miss a Beat

were asked questions about their physical activity. Students were then put into categories of
inactive, low active and active. Students also had their height, weight, BMI, and their BP
assessed by a health professional. Data was collected over a 6-month period of 3,764 participants
(2013). Those considered inactive or insufficiently active had higher blood pressure across the
board compared to students who were considered active (2013). It was found that males that
were overweight and active had about 8% better BP than males who are overweight and active.
Additionally, males that were not overweight only had about 2% better BP while females that
were overweight and inactive had 9% worse BP than girls who were overweight and active
(2013). Similar to the males, females that were not overweight and active had 4% better BP than
girls who are inactive (2013). This shows that there is a definite correlation in children ages 1419 between physical activity and high blood pressure regardless of whether or not the student
was considered to be obese or not.
In the next article, Risk Factors for Obesity and High Blood Pressure in Chinese
American Children: Maternal Acculturation and Childrens Food Choices, they say that Chinese
Americans are beginning to have a high risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and
cardiovascular disease (Chen J, Heyman MB, Lustig R, 2011). High BP in children is usually a
precursor to high BP in adults. The purpose of this study is to see the factors that contribute to
high BP and obesity in Chinese American students (2011). Chinese American students between
the ages 8-10 of both sexes were used in this study. All 67 students answered a questionnaire
about their eating and exercising habits. The students also had many measurements taken: height,
weight, BMI, waist to hip ratio, and blood pressure (2011). It was found that children with lower
levels of physical activity had a higher average blood pressure than students who were more
active (2011). Students who also made unhealthy food choices tended to have a higher blood

Dont Miss a Beat

pressure. This study shows that unhealthy food choices and inactivity leads to higher average
blood pressure.
Occupational Health did a study titled, Health Improved by Physical Activity Intervention at
Work on how physical activity improved health at workplace (Paton N, 2010). The purpose of the
study was to see if physical activity, over a three-month period, had any effect on the health of
the participants. The study used 1,300 people from 44 different workplaces to participate (2010).
All participants had their blood pressure, BMI and body fat checked at the beginning of the
study. The participants also answered a few questions about how much physical activity is
typical for them. The study was designed as a health challenge where there would be a winner
at each worksite. After the study, the participants recorded the amount of activity they did over
the three-month period. Half the participants were giving a leaflet about living a healthy lifestyle,
while the other half received intervention, that included self-monitoring tools, challenges, and
motivational posters (2010). No improvements were made in the blood pressure of the
participants who did not receive intervention. The people who did receive intervention had better
resting heart rates and blood pressure after the study (2010). The study concluded that increased
physical activity improves blood pressure over time.
The American Journal of Public Health published an article about how physical and
mental wellbeing can be improved through physical activity in Effects of a Promoter-based
Intervention to Promote Physical Activity Familias Sanasy Activas. (Ayala GX, 2011). The
purpose of the study was to see if training people to do promotor-based physical activity would
increase health, including blood pressure (2011). The study includes 337 women that were
assessed for 12 months and checked halfway through the year (2011). The women had their BP,
BMI, aerobic fitness and flexibility calculated (2011). The women also filled out a questionnaire
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Dont Miss a Beat

about their self-health including physiological factors like anxiety and depression. The women
participated in physical activity during the year, who had physiological factors saw a decrease in
blood pressure (2011). This study shows that physical activity can improve both physical and
mental health.
The European Journal of Public Health published the article, Changes in BMI and Blood
Pressure After A School Based Intervention: The CHILDREN Study proposed that blood pressure
has been raising at an alarming rate (Angelopoulos PD, Milionis HJ, 2009). The purpose of this
study is to see if implementing a school-based health intervention in a primary school that has a
high obesity rates will improve the students blood pressure. The study consisted of 646 fifth
grade students across 26 different schools (2009). Of these students, 321 that were from 13
schools were used to do the health intervention while the remaining students made up the control
group (2009).The intervention was tested over a 12 month period. Students participated in PE
and health classes two hours each week (2009). They also used motivational techniques and
modeling to improve the students behavior. All participants at the beginning of the study
answered a questionnaire about physical activity and were assess on BMI, height, weight, blood
pressure and diet (2009). The average blood pressure of the intervention participants decreased
about 10 points from the beginning of the study (2009). The BMI did not have a significant
change. This study shows that Blood pressure is greatly affected by food options, health
education, and physical education.
Synthesis of information
Most of the research articles reviewed concluded that there is a direct link between blood
pressure levels and physical activity; however, some varied. Three of the articles are related to
children directly and one specifically targets high school students. The article: Does Self-

Dont Miss a Beat

reported Physical Activity Associate with High Blood Pressure in Adolescents When Adiposity is
Adjusted For? (Barros MVG, 2013) suggests that blood pressure affects all teenagers whether
they are overweight or not. Another study: Risk Factors for Obesity and High Blood Pressure in
Chinese American Children: Maternal Acculturation and Childrens Food Choices (Chen J,
Heyman MB, Lustig R, 2011) was also done on children. This article was concerned that high
blood pressure in children could lead to unhealthy adults. They found that poor choices in food
options and lack of exercise can cause high blood pressure, which can put people at risk for
different diseases later in life. The third study: Changes in BMI and Blood Pressure After A
School Based Intervention: Milionis HJ, 2009 The CHILDREN study (Angelopoulos PD,
Milionis HJ, 2009) shows a great correlation between health education and blood pressure. It
creates a situation that shows children who are educated and motivated can have better health
and make better choices.
The other two articles deal with adults, but still show a decrease in blood pressure due to
increasing physical activity. Health Improved by Physical Activity Intervention at Work (Paton N,
2010) just like The CHILDREN study (Angelopoulos PD, Milionis HJ, 2009) creates an
environment where the persons health is being improved through motivational devises. The last
article: Effects of a Promotor-based Intervention to Promote Physical Activity Familias Sanasy
Activas. (Ayala GX, 2011) focuses on physical and mental wellness. This study does report that
blood pressure and physiological factors decrease through physical activity.
Research supports the idea that physical activity is the best way to improve blood
pressure and overall health. Teaching students how to eat right and take care of their body,
ultimately transfers into healthy minds. These kinds of life skills will get a student on the right
track for a healthy and prosperous future. Students that feel good physically will also want to do

Dont Miss a Beat

well in school. The club created here, Dont Miss A Beat, undoubtedly will have any student who
participates do well in life and academics
Practical Implication
Students interested in improving their lifestyle will participate in the after school program
Dont Miss a Beat that involves different types of physical activities. The after school program
will meet every Tuesday for meetings and every Thursday for their planned activity. The
activities that the students will participate in are: flag football, soccer, tennis, or any other
activity the students in the clubs Activity Committee previously voted on. At the Activity
Committee meetings the students will have their resting blood pressure (BP) taken and then after
the activity, it will be taken again. The students will keep their chart throughout the year to help
them to understand how their BP has changes through physical activity. The students can
compare their charts to the national standard chart (Understanding Blood Pressure Readings,
2015). Additionally, the students heart rate will be tracked over the course of the school year and
the club advisors will get weekly check-ins from the students teachers to chart any change in
their academics.
The first month of the school year, August, will be spent getting students interested in the
club. The next two weeks the students will learn what blood pressure is and how it affects the
body. They will also learn what foods help and hurt their blood pressure. The students will set up
their own BP charts and they will learn how to take BP of their peers. During these meetings we
will also start to talk about what activities or sports they are interested in. The rest of the school
year they will continue to monitor their BP while participating in activities. As the different sport
seasons end and/or begin the club may lose or gain different members. At these times, there will
be a meeting to update the new members on our process and progress in the program. Dont Miss
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Dont Miss a Beat

a Beat will host a community event once a month on a Saturday, these are tentatively scheduled
prior to holidays known for poor eating practices. The club members will inform the community
about the importance of maintaining a healthy BP, and if interested, participating in a program
that monitors and charts the BP of community members.
Student interest in the club will be promoted through posters on campus throughout the
year. The club meetings will be posted on the school website to ensure easy access to club
information. During the morning announcements there will be reminders to sign up. Also, in the
club advisors classroom there will be posters to sign up, which will welcome all students and, at
the same time, serve as a reminder for participating students.
Furthermore, the Activity Committee and the Community Events Committee for Dont
Miss a Beat will work together to decide what physical activities the students will participate in
during club days, as well as work together to decide club events. The Community Events
Committee will be responsible for setting up the community events and ensuring they are being
advertised to the community appropriately.
The students in the Dont Miss a Beat will learn a lot about BP and be encouraged to
share what they learn with their family. They will try to do their best to eat foods at home that
will be good for the whole family. According to one study BP levels will be greatly improved if
the family is involved in correct eating habits (Angelopoulos P, Milionis H, Grammatikaki E,
Moschonis G, & Manios Y, 2009). They will be encouraged to take walks with their family on
the days we do not have club meetings. Half way through the school year, mid-January ,and at
the end of the school year, early May, the club will host a community event where there will be
different stations setup by students to teach the community about blood pressure; what foods to

Dont Miss a Beat

eat, the different ranges of hypertension, what blood pressure is, how it affects the body and
mind, and the students will again be taking blood pressure readings of the community
Conclusion
The goal of Dont Miss a Beat is to get our students, staff, faculty, and community to
understand the benefits of a healthy body and how knowing about your blood pressure can help
you achieve overall good heath. The main focus of Dont Miss a Beat is to get the student body
excited, informed, and actively participating in physical activities that will greatly benefit them.
With the help of the faculty advisors, the students will continually track and monitor their blood
pressure, their heart rate, and note any positive change in their academics after increasing their
physical activity.

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Dont Miss a Beat

Appendix A

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Appendix B

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Appendix C

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References
Angelopoulos, P. D., Milionis, H. J., Grammatikaki, E., Moschonis, G., & Manios, Y. (2009).
Changes in BMI and blood pressure after a school based intervention: The CHILDREN
study. European Journal of Public Health, 19(3), 319-25.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckp004.
Ayala, G. X. (2011). Effects of a promoter-based intervention to promote physical activity:
Familias sanasy activas. American Journal of Public Health, 101(12), 2261-8.
Retrieved from http://login.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login?
url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/906037724?accountid=4485.
Barros, M. V. G., Ritti-Dias, R., Barros, S. S. H., Mota, J., & Andersen, L. B. (2013). Does selfreported physical activity associate with high blood pressure in adolescents when
adiposity is adjusted for? Journal of Sports Sciences, 31(4), 387-395.
oi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2012.734631 .
Chen, J., Weiss, S., Heyman, M. B., & Lustig, R. (2011). Risk factors for obesity and high
blood pressure in chinese american children: Maternal acculturation and children's
food choices. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 13(2), 268-75.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10903-009-9288-x .
Fleischer, R. (Director). (2009). Zombieland [Motion Picture].
Paton, N. (2010). Health improved by physical activity intervention at work. Occupational
Health, 62(10), 7. Retrieved from
http://login.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/7601018
17?accountid=4485s.

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Dont Miss a Beat

Prevention, C. f. (2015, February 19). High Blood Pressure Facts. Retrieved from Center for
Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/facts.htm
Understanding Blood Pressure Readings. (2015, March 11). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/AboutHighBloodPres
sure/Understanding-Blood-Pressure-Readings_UCM_301764_Article.jsp

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Dont Miss a Beat

Rubric
Criteria with
Professional Standards
Referenced

5
Exemplary
(97 100%)

4
Highly
Proficient
(93 96%)

3
Proficient
(83 92%)

2
Approachin
g Proficient
(73 82%)

1
Unsatisfactory
(72%
and below)

Introduction to the
topic and
overview (In your
purpose statement
also introduce all
subtopics)

Introduction is
fully developed,
introduces all
topics, and
invites the reader
to read further.

Introducti
on is
addressed
well.

Introducti
on is
addressed
adequatel
y.

Introduction is
omitted.

InTASC 1c,k; 5k;

9f; 10h

5 x 2=10 points

Introducti
on is fully
developed
with all
topics
introduce
d.

Literature
review
may
(includes 5 peer
address
reviewed original
major
research articles
Thorough use of
issues, but
references)
a range of
issues
references to
Thorough may not
InTASC 1c,k; 5k; support key
use of a
be
9f; 10h
issues.
range of
supported
Descriptionof
references with
NAEYC 6b
important studies to support expert
NETS-T 3a,d; 4a,c establishes
key
knowledg
context
for
the
issues.
CEC EC2S1;
e.
reader.
CC7K1;
Includes
Good use
EC7K1;CC9K4;C Includes more
descriptio of
C9S8
than 5
ns of

Literature
review
does not
address
the major
issues in
the area;
the level
of support
for the
issues is
not
adequate.

Literature
review does not
have the depth
of knowledge
appropriate to
the upper
elementary
level course.

Introduction

NAEYC 6b
NETS-T 3a,d; 4a,c
CEC EC2S1;
CC7K1;
EC7K1;CC9K4;C
C9S8
Literature Review
Adequacy of
Knowledge

16

Literature review
highlights major
issues in the
area.

Literature
review
addresses
major
issues in
the area.

Includes 3
references
.

Includes less
than 2
references.

Dont Miss a Beat

informative
references.
5 x 3=15 points

Synthesis of
Information (what
did the articles
collectively say
about the topic?
Which authors had
similar and
different
findings?)

Studies covering
the same topic
synthesize
related research.
5 x 3=15 points

important
studies to
provide
context
for the
reader.

references
, but
additional
references
may have
strengthen
ed the
Includes 5 paper.
or more
references Includes4
.
references
.
Studies
covering
the same
topic are
summariz
ed and
integrated

The
literature
review is
a mixed
set of
ideas
without a
particular
focus.

The literature
review does not
demonstrate
upper UG

level
work.

Informati
on is
presented
study-bystudy
rather
than
summariz
ed by
topic.

Pratical
implicatio
ns are
discussed
but not
related to
a
particular
teaching
setting or
topic or
certain

Pratical
implicatio
ns are
discussed
but not at
a
particularl
y level or
in a
particular
setting
and many

Practical
implicatio
ns are not
thoroughl
y
discussed
and only a
few
details of
the event
are

Practical
implications are
not discussed
and no details
of the event are
present.

InTASC 1c,k; 5k;

9f; 10h
NAEYC 6b
NETS-T 3a,d; 4a,c
CEC EC2S1;
CC7K1;
EC7K1;CC9K4;C
C9S8
Practical
Implications
(Discuss how the
findings can or
will later be
applied to your
teaching setting)
InTASC 1c,k; 5k;
9f; 10h
NAEYC 6b

17

Practical
implications of
your event
details including
your teaching
level and in a
particular setting
are discussed
thoroughly. Must
have at least 6
topics
embedded.

Dont Miss a Beat

NETS-T 3a,d; 4a,c 5 x 6=30 points

CEC EC2S1;
CC7K1;
EC7K1;CC9K4;C
C9S8
Conclusions
ITASC 1c,k; 5k;
9f; 10h

Major issues
support and
establish
conclusions.

NAEYC 6b

5 x 2=10 points

NETS-T 3a,d; 4a,c

details are
missing.

details of
your
event are
missing.

present

The major
issues are
summariz
ed under
conclusio
ns.

The
conclusio
ns are not
complete.

Provides
opinions,
but not a
summary
of
findings.

Brief
outline
with at
least 5
original
peer
reviewed
references
written in
APA
format is
submitted.

Brief
outline
with some
references
but not 5
original
peer
reviewed
references
written in
APA
format are
submitted.

Brief
No outline was
outline
submitted.
with one
or no
references
submitted.

Detailed
draft of
ALL
sections
with some
errors in
content
covered,
headings,
writing
style
and/or

Detailed
draft of
MOST
sections
with some
errors in
content
covered,
headings,
writing
style
and/or

Missing
sections
or paper
has
regular
errors
across
content
covered,
headings,
writing
style

No conclusions
are included.

CEC EC2S1;
CC7K1;
EC7K1;CC9K4;C
C9S8
Outline Turned In

Logical, detailed
outline with at
least 5 original
peer reviewed
references
written in APA
format is
submitted.
5 x 2=10 points

First Draft of all

sections submitted
with changes
made integrating
instructor
comments from
the outline

18

Detailed draft of
all sections of
the paper with
appropriate
content, headers,
writing style,
and references in
APA 6.0 style.

Incomplete
(missing half of
the
requirements)
or completely
missing paper.

Dont Miss a Beat

refernces
in APA
6.0 style.

refernces
in APA
6.0 style.

and/or
refernces
in APA
6.0 style.

Integration of
instructor
comments from
first draft

All comments
from instructor
integrated into
final version. All
were highlighted
in yellow

Most
comments
from
instructor
integrated
into final
version.
All were
highlighte
d in
yellow

Some
comments
from
instructor
integrated
into final
version.
Most
were
highlighte
d in
yellow

Very few
comments
from
instructor
integrated
into final
version.
Most
were
highlighte
d in
yellow

No comments
from instructor
integrated into
final version.
The changes
were not
highlighted

Writing and
referencing style

Cover page
included, proper
spelling and
grammar, all
references in
APA 6.0 style.
Paper was
appropriate
length (at least 5
pages)

Cover
page
included,
few
grammati
cal errors
and
misspellin
gs, all
references
in APA
6.0 style.
Paper was
appropriat
e length
(at least 5
pages)

Cover
page
included,
some
grammati
cal errors
and
misspellin
gs, some
errors in
referencin
g style
APA 6.0.
Paper was
too short
for the
topic (3-4
pages)

Cover
page not
included,
many
grammati
cal errors
and
misspellin
gs, some
errors in
referencin
g style
APA 6.0.
Paper was
too short
for the
topic (1-2
pages)

Cover page not

included, major
grammatical
errors and
misspellings,
many errors in
referencing
style APA 6.0.
Paper was too
short for the
topic (1-2
pages)

Cover Page = 5
Points
Reference Page =
5 Points
10 Points Total

5 X 2 = 10
points

19