However, it is not known whether structured physical activity programmes are any more effective than giving advice to remain active.
But these benefits don't just happen; schools need to devise physical activity programmes that are carefully planned and delivered.
HDA officials are concerned that local experiments, including free swimming lessons and activity programmes providing "exercise buddies" for adults over 50, have not been evaluated nationally.
In New York since 2009, according to several children's advocacy groups, city-subsidised childcare places have fallen by 18% and the number of places for children in after-school activity programmes has fallen by 40%.
In summary, 18 international economic analyses of primary preventive physical activity programmes were identified.
This literature review aims to analyse the costing methodology in economic analyses of primary preventive physical activity programmes.
Eighteen of the finally selected primary research studies described an economic analysis of physical activity programmes for adults.
Data extraction regarding cost assessment methodology follows a previously published theoretical framework for economic evaluation of physical activity programmes.
Earlier reviews examined the economic results of preventive physical activity programmes without differentiation of primary and secondary prevention [7 9].
Further methodological problems and more detailed recommendations for the economic evaluations of primary preventive physical activity programmes are comprehensively explained and discussed elsewhere [7, 10, 41].
Altogether, 18 economic analyses of physical activity programmes in primary prevention from seven different countries (Taiwan, UK, New Zealand, Netherlands, Canada, USA and Australia) were identified.
