State Physical Education and Physical Activity Laws and Regulations in the United States: Estimating Mandated Time in Public Schools

Abstract

Purpose

This study estimated mandated physical education (PE) and physical activity (PA) time stipulated by state laws in public schools across the 50 States and the District of Columbia, and compared these times between states with and without specified mandates across education levels.

Design

Descriptive research.

Sample

State PE and PA regulation across 50 States and the District of Columbia.

Measures

Regulations were sourced from the School Health Policy Database developed by the National Association of State Boards of Education, Nexis Uni academic research database, Casetext, and state government websites.

Analysis

Frequency analysis and two-way analysis of variance were used to compare estimated PE and PA time between states with and without specific mandates.

Results

Across education levels, only 25.5% of the states mandated specific PA/recess time, 74.5% did not. About 51.0% mandated specific PE time, 45.1% mandated PE without specifying time, and 3.9% did not mandate PE. States with specified mandated PE and PA time averaged 76.54 and 131.41 minutes per week, respectively, showing significantly higher estimated PE and PA (P < 0.001) time compared to states without such mandates.

Conclusion

Many states mandate specific PA or PE times, but the average mandated time is significantly below the recommended 60 minutes of daily PA for school-aged children. This highlights the need to reassess current legislation to align with established recommendations.