Self-reported barriers to quality physical education by physical education specialists in Texas

School-based programs offer an efficient means of promoting the health of a large number of children. The Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) program was designed to decrease risk factors for chronic disease in elementary school children and includes separate coordinated interventions for child nutrition services, physical education (PE), classroom instruction, and family education. Physical education specialists who attended CATCH training during school years 2000-2003 were surveyed about CATCH PE at their respective schools. The survey included items pertaining to PE barriers, implementation and satisfaction of CATCH PE, and demographic characteristics. A serial cross-sectional study design was used; response rates were 58.6% in 2000, 20.9% in 2001, 38.7% in 2002, and 57.7% in 2003. The top two rank order barriers to quality PE were large class size and low academic value. Future research should focus on determining characteristics of schools that are achieving quality PE programs.