High school physical education and physical activity in young women.

This study assessed if high school physical education experiences were related to physical activity behaviors of young women in college. Undergraduate women from three universities (N = 949) were surveyed concerning their experiences in high school physical education and their physical activity in six areas, aquatics, individual activities, physical conditioning, outdoor adventure, rhythmic activities, and team activities. Analysis indicated that women who completed courses with a diverse curriculum containing content from four of the six categories investigated reported significantly more cardiovascular endurance activities and individual/team sports participation than respondents who completed courses with low curriculum diversity. Results indicate that providing diverse curricular experiences for girls in high school physical education is associated with higher physical activity as young adults.