Using the R = MC² heuristic to assess whole-of-school physical activity implementation in elementary schools: a cross-sectional study.

Authors

Derek W Craig, Kevin Lanza, Christopher D Pfledderer, Andjelka Pavlovic, Kempson Onadeko, Natalia I Heredia, Jizyah Injil, Laura F DeFina, Timothy J Walker

Published in

The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity. Volume 22. Issue 1. Pages 114. Aug 23, 2025. Epub Aug 23, 2025.

Abstract

Schools are recommended to use a whole-of-school (WOS) approach to promote physical activity opportunities before, during, and after school. Yet, the barriers and facilitators to implementing a WOS approach successfully are not well understood. The R = MC² heuristic, which defines readiness for implementation as a combination of an organization's motivation and capacity to implement, can enhance our understanding of implementation in the school setting. This study examines associations between constructs from the R = MC² heuristic and schools' implementation of a WOS approach.
We conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from U.S. elementary schools participating in the NFL PLAY60 FitnessGram Project during the 2022-23 school year. From surveys administered to school staff, we created a WOS index (range = 0-12) comprising six physical activity practices: physical education, recess, before and after-school programs, classroom-based approaches, and active transport. We also assessed how six constructs from the R = MC² heuristic (i.e., culture, implementation climate, leadership, priority, resources utilization, resource availability) impact physical activity implementation using a series of questions measured on a 5-point Likert scale. We used linear regression models to determine associations between R = MC² constructs (independent variables) and WOS index scores (dependent variable), controlling for school-level characteristics (student enrollment, percentage of race/ethnicity and economically disadvantaged students served) and state-level clustering.
The analytic sample consisted of 132 schools across 18 states. On average, school staff rated leadership (mean = 4.1, range = 1.5-5) and organizational culture (mean = 4.0, range = 2.25-5) the highest. The mean WOS index score was 6.1. Partially adjusted models indicated significant positive associations between each R = MC² construct and WOS index scores. Fully adjusted regression models revealed priority (b = 0.88; p = 0.010; 95% CI = 0.19-1.56) and implementation climate (b = 0.69; p = 0.047; 95% CI = 0.07-1.32) were positively and significantly associated with WOS index scores.
Our study provides insights into key implementation constructs associated with providing school-based physical activity opportunities. These findings can support the development of resources and implementation strategies which, in turn, can help schools address implementation-related disparities. This will help schools improve the quality and accessibility of opportunities for physical activity provided to students across the United States.

PMID:
40849674
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 24 Aug 2025.

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