scholarly journals Examining If Changes in the Type of School-Based Intramural Programs Affect Youth Physical Activity over Time: A Natural Experiment Evaluation

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2752
Author(s):  
Kathleen E. Burns ◽  
Ashok Chaurasia ◽  
Valerie Carson ◽  
Scott T. Leatherdale
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Sport Participation ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
School Based ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Youth Physical Activity ◽  
Mixed Regression ◽  
Over Time

(1) School-based physical activity programs such as intramurals provide youth with inclusive opportunities to be physically active, yet we know little about how types of intramurals (e.g., team and individual sports) may contribute to youth MVPA. This research aims to evaluate how real-world changes in types of intramurals available in schools impact youth physical activity over time. (2) This study used three years of longitudinal school- and student-level data from Ontario schools participating in year 5 (2016–2017), year 6 (2017–2018) and year 7 (2018–2019) of the COMPASS study. Data on types of intramural programs from 55 schools were obtained, baseline demographic characteristics were measured and data on physical activity and sport participation were collected on a sample of 4417 students. Hierarchical linear mixed regression models were used to estimate how changes in the type of intramurals associate with youth MVPA over time. (3) Regardless of participation, adding individual and team intramurals was significantly and positively associated with female MVPA in Y6. (4) The indirect, but positive relationship between adding individual and team intramurals and female MVPA may be explained by other characteristics of the school environment that are conducive to female MVPA.

The effect of physical-activity intervention on children’s health-related quality of life

2020 ◽  
pp. 140349482097149
Author(s):  
Silje Eikanger Kvalø ◽  
Inger Karin Natlandsmyr
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Physical Activity Intervention ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
School Based ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

Aims: We investigated the effect of a school-based physical-activity intervention on children’s health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the potential influence of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Methods: A randomised, controlled trial (Active School) involving fifth-grade children was conducted during the 2014/15 school year. The sample included 435 children (10–11 years old) at five intervention schools and four control schools. The weekly interventions concerned two 45 min of physically active lessons, five 10 min of physically active breaks and five 10 min of physically active homework. The children’s HRQoL was measured using KIDSCREEN-27 and a self-report questionnaire, while physical activity was measured using accelerometers. Results: The results of multilevel analysis showed a significant effect on psychological wellbeing ( p = 0.005), social support and peers ( p = 0.005) and school environment ( p = 0.013). No gender differences were observed. Children’s MVPA did not influence their KIDSCREEN-27 score. Conclusions: The school-based physical-activity intervention (Active School) shows positive effects on children’s self-reported psychological wellbeing, social support and peers, and school environment.

scholarly journals Examining if changes in gender-specific and co-ed intramural programs affect youth physical activity over time: a natural experiment evaluation using school- and student-level data from the COMPASS study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen E. Burns ◽  
Ashok Chaurasia ◽  
Valerie Carson ◽  
Scott T. Leatherdale
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Natural Experiment ◽  
Sport Participation ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
School Level ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Gender Specific ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background Despite the benefits of physical activity (PA), the majority of Canadian youth are falling short of the recommended 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day. School-based physical activity programs such as intramurals, are important opportunities for youth to be physically active. There is limited evidence available on the impact of gender-specific (e.g., female-only, male-only) and co-ed intramurals on youth PA over time, however, evidence suggests female-only intramurals may be important for female MVPA. This research aims to capitalize on a natural experiment to generate practice-based evidence on the impact of changes in gender-specific and co-ed intramurals on youth MVPA over time. Methods This study used linked longitudinal school- and student-level data from Ontario secondary schools in year 5 (Y5:2016–2017), year 6 (Y6: 2017–2018) and year 7 (Y7: 2018–2019) of the COMPASS study. Data on intramurals from 55 schools were used to determine the changes to gender-specific and co-ed intramurals that occurred from Y5 to Y6. Baseline demographic characteristics were measured and data on PA and sport participation were collected in Y5, Y6 and Y7 on a sample of 4417 students. Hierarchical linear mixed regression models were used to estimate how changes in gender-specific and co-ed intramurals were associated with youth MVPA over time. Results Participation in intramural, varsity and community sport were all positively and significantly associated with youth MVPA. Changes in gender-specific and co-ed intramurals were not significantly associated with youth MVPA in Y6 or Y7. However, the positive association between maintaining the addition of gender-specific intramurals on female MVPA in Y7 was on par with the significance level of α = 0.05, suggesting that adding gender-specific intramurals may be important for female MVPA. Conclusions Adding gender-specific and co-ed intramurals may not be sufficient strategies to increase PA among youth. Further research should explore the effect of gender-specific intramurals on youth PA, as this study may have been underpowered at the school-level. Gender-specific intramurals may promote a supportive PA environment that promotes MVPA, especially among females. These intramurals may be an important component of more comprehensive strategies to increase youth MVPA.

scholarly journals Evidence-Based Overview of Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity during School Recess: An Updated Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 578
Author(s):  
Sergio Pulido Sánchez ◽  
Damián Iglesias Gallego
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Extraction Process ◽  
Intervention Programs ◽  
World Health ◽  
After School ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Physically Active

Interest in analyzing physically active behaviors during school recesses has grown in recent years as the school environment has consolidated (recess, physical education classes, lunch-time, before and after school) as a crucial space to bring these levels towards those recommended through intervention programs and improvements in the school environment. Unfortunately, in most of these studies, children do not achieve the 60 min a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) recommended by the World Health Organization. The aim of this systematic review is to analyze the cross-sectional, longitudinal, and intervention studies objectively measured with accelerometers that have emerged in recent years to determine the amount of MVPA of children at recess. This systematic review followed the PRISMA guidelines. The extraction process for the studies included in this systematic review yielded a total of 43 articles. The studies were classified according to the methodological nature of the research: cross-sectional (n = 34), longitudinal (n = 3) and quasi-experimental (n = 6). The results of the studies confirm that during the recess period younger children are physically more active than older ones and that in general, boys are more physically active than girls. In addition, the data show that the school contributes to more than 40% of the total MVPA. The intervention programs led to an increase in MVPA of up to 5%. Providing schools with equipment and facilities shows that intervention programs are beneficial for raising children’s levels of physical activity.

scholarly journals Simultaneous presence of excess weight and insufficient hours of sleep in adolescents: prevalence and related factors

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 148
Author(s):  
Tiago Rodrigues de Lima ◽  
Gabriel Renaldo de Sousa ◽  
João Antônio Chula de Castro ◽  
Diego Augusto Santos Silva
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Sedentary Behaviour ◽  
Body Fat ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Paediatric Population ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Insufficient Sleep ◽  
School Based

Introduction: An increase in excess body fat and a decrease in the number of hours of sleep per day are health problems affecting the paediatric population. Objective: To estimate the combined prevalence of overweight and insufficient sleep/day in adolescents, and the association with sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Methods: A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted with 1,132 participants from 14 to 19 years old in São José, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Body fat was assessed by body mass index (BMI) and classified by the Z-score, while adolescents reported the total hours of sleep/day. Sociodemographic data, physical activity and sedentary behaviour were collected by self-filled questionnaire. Results: The simultaneous prevalence of overweight and insufficient sleep/day was 17.5%. The factors associated with this condition were to meet the recommendations of the practice of physical activity per week, participate in gym class twice/week and period greater/equal to four hours/day in front of the screen. Conclusion: Guidelines in the school environment in relation to health problems posed by weight excess and the amount of insufficient hours sleep can be present when recommendations on physical activity and sedentary behaviour are given to students.

scholarly journals Protocol for a scoping review to identify and map intervention components of existing school-based interventions for the promotion of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness among school children aged 6–10 years old

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. e037848
Author(s):  
Berit Brandes ◽  
Heide Busse ◽  
Louisa Sell ◽  
Lara Christianson ◽  
Mirko Brandes
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cardiorespiratory Fitness ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Sports Medicine ◽  
School Setting ◽  
General Information ◽  
Hand Search ◽  
School Based ◽  
School Based Interventions

IntroductionPhysical inactivity is known as a leading cause of mortality and tracks from childhood to adulthood. Many types of school-based single-component and multicomponent interventions to promote physical activity (PA) have been undertaken and evaluated, with mixed findings overall. Enlarging the intervention areas beyond the school setting is a promising approach. WHO’s Health Promoting School (WHO HPS) framework is a holistic, setting-based approach where health is promoted through the whole school environment with links to other settings such as the home environment and wider community. In this paper, we outline our scoping review protocol to systematically review the published literature from the last 10 years to identify existing school-based interventions to promote PA and cardiorespiratory fitness among children aged 6–10 years old and to map intervention components according to the features of this framework.Methods and analysisArksey and O’Malley’s scoping review methodology framework will guide the conduct of this review. We will search Medline, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Sports Medicine & Education Index, Education Resources Information Centre and CENTRAL and hand search the reference lists of key studies to identify studies appropriate for inclusion. Any empirical study that evaluated the effectiveness of a school-based intervention promoting PA and/or cardiorespiratory fitness in children aged 6–10 years old will be included. Two reviewers will independently screen all abstracts and full texts for inclusion. One reviewer will extract general information, study characteristics and intervention contents to classify them according to the features of the WHO HPS framework. Results will be synthesised narratively.Ethics and disseminationFindings will be disseminated in conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications. A condensed version of the results will be made available for the public. Stakeholder meetings will be arranged to discuss and disseminate the findings.

scholarly journals Using Accelerometers in Youth Physical Activity Studies: A Review of Methods

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelli L. Cain ◽  
James F. Sallis ◽  
Terry L. Conway ◽  
Delfien Van Dyck ◽  
Lynn Calhoon
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Decision Rule ◽  
Decision Rules ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Accelerometer Data ◽  
Cut Points ◽  
Moderate Intensity Physical Activity ◽  
Youth Physical Activity ◽  
Intensity Physical Activity ◽  
Over Time

Background:In 2005, investigators convened by the National Cancer Institute recommended development of standardized protocols for accelerometer use and reporting decision rules in articles. A literature review was conducted to document accelerometer methods and decision rule reporting in youth physical activity articles from 2005−2010.Methods:Nine electronic databases identified 273 articles that measured physical activity and/or sedentary behavior using the most-used brand of accelerometer (ActiGraph). Six key methods were summarized by age group (preschool, children, and adolescents) and trends over time were examined.Results:Studies using accelerometers more than doubled from 2005−2010. Methods included 2 ActiGraph models, 6 epoch lengths, 6 nonwear definitions, 13 valid day definitions, 8 minimum wearing day thresholds, 12 moderate-intensity physical activity cut points, and 11 sedentary cut points. Child studies showed the most variation in methods and a trend toward more variability in cut points over time. Decision rule reporting improved, but only 54% of papers reported on all methods.Conclusion:The increasing diversity of methods used to process and score accelerometer data for youth precludes comparison of results across studies. Decision rule reporting is inconsistent, and trends indicate declining standardization of methods. A methodological research agenda and consensus process are proposed.

Childhood obesity: food, nutrient, and eating-habit trends and influences

2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 635-645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn Roblin
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Fats And Oils ◽  
Obese Children ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
School Based ◽  
The Media ◽  
High Calorie

The need has never been greater to support healthy eating and physical activity in children and youth; the numbers of overweight and obese children have doubled and tripled, respectively, over the past 3 decades. Poor eating habits, including inadequate intake of vegetables, fruit, and milk, and eating too many high-calorie snacks, play a role in childhood obesity. Grain products provide the highest percentage (31%) of daily calories, followed by “other foods,” which have limited nutritional value (22% of daily calories). Snacks account for 27% of total daily calories, which is more than the calories consumed at breakfast (18%) and lunch (24%), but not dinner (31%). For Canadians older than 4 years of age, more than 41% of daily snack calories come from other foods, such as chips, chocolate bars, soft drinks, fruit drinks, sugars, syrup, preserves, fats, and oils. Habits that protect against childhood obesity include eating more vegetables and fruit, eating meals with family, and being physically active. Children’s food habits and choices are influenced by family, caregivers, friends, schools, marketing, and the media. Successful interventions for preventing childhood obesity combine family- and school-based programs, nutrition education, dietary change, physical activity, family participation, and counseling.

scholarly journals Untapped Resources: 10- to 13-Year-Old Primary Schoolchildren’s Views on Additional Physical Activity in the School Setting: A Focus Group Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 2713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera van den Berg ◽  
Eline Vos ◽  
Renate de Groot ◽  
Amika Singh ◽  
Mai Chinapaw
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Field Trips ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
School Based ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
School Day

Schools are considered ideal venues to promote physical activity (PA) in children. However, a knowledge gap exists on how to adequately integrate PA into the school day and in particular, on the preferences of children regarding additional PA in school. Therefore, the aim of our qualitative study was to gain comprehensive insight into 10–13-year-old primary schoolchildren’s perspectives on how to increase PA in the school setting. We conducted nine focus groups (32 girls and 20 boys) with children attending the final two grades of primary school in the Netherlands. We used inductive thematic analysis to analyze the data. The results showed that children were enthusiastic about additional PA in school. Children suggested various ways to increase PA, including more time for PA in the existing curriculum, e.g., physical education (PE), recess, and occasional activities, such as field trips or sports days; school playground adaptation; improving the content of PE; and implementing short PA breaks and physically active academic lessons. Children emphasized variation and being given a voice in their PA participation as a prerequisite to keep PA enjoyable and interesting in the long term. Finally, children mentioned the role of the teacher and making efforts to accommodate all children and their different preferences as important. Children have concrete ideas, acknowledging the challenges that accompany integrating additional PA in school. We therefore recommend actively involving children in efforts to increase school-based PA and to make “additional PA in school” a shared project of teachers and students.

scholarly journals Multi-Year Examination of School-Based Programs in Preventing Childhood Obesity: A Case of a State Policy in the U.S.

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (24) ◽  
pp. 9425
Author(s):  
Chang-Yong Jang ◽  
Nam-Gyeong Gim ◽  
Yoonhee Kim ◽  
TaeEung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
The Body ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
School Based ◽  
American Children ◽  
Teenage Obesity ◽  
State Programs

This study examined the association between the obesogenic factors and the risk of suffering from weight excess in school-based state programs regarding physical activity, physical education, nutrition standards, and nutrition education in preventing childhood obesity. Data were drawn from the 1999–2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey in the State of Mississippi (N = 8862; grades 9–12). Logistic regression with year-fixed effects was performed to capture the influence of the legislation on teenage obesity, controlling for demographics and nutrition- and physical activity-related behaviors. The age-, sex-, and ethnicity-adjusted mean of the body mass index had reduced since 2007 (year 1999: 23.52; year 2001: 23.53; year 2003: 23.76; year 2007: 24.26; year 2009: 24.29; and year 2011: 23.91). The legislation was significantly associated with a decreased likelihood of being overweight (year 2007, odds ratio (OR) = 0.686; year 2009, OR = 0.739; and year 2011, OR = 0.760; all p < 0.01). Children who were more sedentary, more frequently fasted to lose weight, and were less physically active and likelier to be overweight (OR = 1.05, 1.37, and 0.97, respectively; all p < 0.05), as were African-American children (OR = 0.64; p < 0.05) and female students (OR = 1.59; p < 0.05). In conclusion, schools are among the most easily modifiable settings for preventing childhood obesity and reducing its prevalence, with the implementation of physical activity and nutritional policies.

Relation of Adolescents’ Physical Activity to After-School Recreation Environment

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 382-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina M. Thornton ◽  
Kelli L. Cain ◽  
Terry L. Conway ◽  
Jacqueline Kerr ◽  
Brian E. Saelens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Daily Physical Activity ◽  
After School ◽  
Sports Facilities ◽  
Adolescent Physical Activity ◽  
Mixed Regression ◽  
Physical Activity Recommendations ◽  
Policies And Programs ◽  
School Period

Background:The after-school period provides an opportune context for adolescent physical activity. This study examined how characteristics of after-school recreation environments related to adolescent physical activity.Methods:Participants were 889 adolescents aged 12 to 17 (mean = 14.1, SD = 1.4) from 2 US regions. Adolescents reported on whether their school offered after-school supervised physical activity, access to play areas/fields, and presence of sports facilities. Outcomes were accelerometer-measured after-school physical activity, reported physical activity on school grounds during nonschool hours, attainment of 60 minutes of daily physical activity excluding school physical education, and BMI-for-age z-score. Mixed regression models adjusted for study design, region, sex, age, ethnicity, vehicles/licensed drivers in household, and distance to school.Results:School environment variables were all significantly associated with self-reported physical activity on school grounds during non-school hours (P < .001) and attainment of 60 minutes of daily physical activity (P < .05). Adolescents’ accelerometer-measured after-school physical activity was most strongly associated with access to supervised physical activity (P = .008).Conclusions:Policies and programs that provide supervised after-school physical activity and access to play areas, fields, and sports facilities may help adolescents achieve daily physical activity recommendations.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document