Influences of Parents on 7-9-year-old Children’s Physical Activity and Cardiopulmonary Endurance (Preprint)

BACKGROUND - OBJECTIVE To explore and discuss the influences on 7～9-year-old children’s physical activity and cardiopulmonary endurance. METHODS Recruiting 1st and 2nd-grade elementary school students and their parents at an elementary school in Changping District, Beijing. The study made an investigation of PA level, economic and educational status on the subject families, and the other main contents including medical history and family history. The PA data of the parents were measured by the ActiGraph GT3X + accelerometer (Actigraph, Pensacola, FL, USA), and the children’s PA data were obtained by the revised PAQ-A. 50m*8 shuttle run were carried out to test the children’s cardiopulmonary endurance. RESULTS 36 families were recruited and completed the examination. There was a significant difference in the children’ PA scores between sPAf(PA sufficient family) (3.02±0.53) and iPAf(PA insufficient family) (2.61±0.58)(P<0.05), and the BMI of the two groups (15.63±1.95 vs17.77±3.67) showed great difference(P<0.01). The child from sPAf had better cardiopulmonary endurance than those from iPAf. The parent of high income, a high educational background had higher moderate to vigorous PA, and so did their child. There was a high positive correlation of the sedentary time and light PA every day of the husband and wife in a family. CONCLUSIONS The influence factors that affected the 7~9-year-old children’s PA level and cardiopulmonary endurance included their parent’s PA level, economic income, educational background, especially the mother’s PA played a prominent part. The study found there existed interaction of respective PA levels inside the couple.

Development of Physical Activity Competence Test Battery and Evaluation Standards for Korean Children

The purpose of this study is to develop a comprehensive and systematic method and standard for evaluating children’s physical activity competency as a solution to the problem of increasing child obesity rates due to a decrease in physical activity among children. This study was used a cross-sectional study design. A literature review and Delphi survey were conducted to develop children’s physical activity competency evaluation. The evaluation criteria were presented based on the measurement data of metropolitan area kindergarten students (228 subjects) on the 2016 winter vacation. Items in the evaluation of children’s physical activity competency test battery include health physical strength, basic movement skills, physical activity habits, and physical activity attitudes. Physical fitness for health consisted of muscle strength and endurance (sit-up), flexibility (sit and reach, trunk lift) and body composition (BMI). Fundamental movement skills consisted of mobility (run, hop, jump), stability (static balance, dynamic balance), and control (throw kick). Physical activity habits consisted of the amount of daily steps (steps), exercise time, screen time, and sleep time. Physical activity attitudes consisted of preference, enjoyment, and confidence. The evaluation criteria for child physical activity competency test battery were presented in five stages, divided by age and gender. With the developed evaluation of children’s physical activity competency, the overall level of physical fitness for health, fundamental movement skills, physical activity habits, and physical activity attitudes of kindergarteners in the metropolitan area could be confirmed, and standards were presented.

The Role of Trees in Winter Air Purification on Children’s Routes to School

Air pollution is now considered to be the world’s largest environmental health threat, accounting for millions of deaths globally each year. The social group that is particularly exposed to the harmful effects of air pollution is children. Their vulnerability results from higher breathing frequency and being subject to concentration peaks just above the ground. The negative effects of ambient particulate matter also depend on the time of exposure. A daily route to school can constitute an important component of children’s physical activity, but air pollution can pose a threat to their health. Numerous studies have proved that high loads of PM can be effectively reduced by vegetation. Little is known, however, on whether vegetation can also reduce PM during leaf dormancy. In this study we investigated the role of trees in air purification during the leafless period in children’s routes to selected schools located in Warsaw during winter. The results obtained show a weak impact of the tree canopy in winter.

The Gender and Education of Parents as Factors That Influence Their Views on Physical Education

(1) The aim of this paper was to explore the views of primary and secondary school children’s parents on physical education (PE) and to subsequently analyse the differences in their views. The gender of the parent and child was taken into consideration as well as the parents’ levels of education. (2) The research sample consisted of 821 participants 668 of which were female (81.4%) and 153 of which were male (18.6%). The views of the children’s parents were collected through a non-standardized questionnaire. The questionnaire was divided into four areas (1—attitudes towards the physical education teaching process, 2—physical activity as part of lifestyle, 3—physical education during the COVID-19 pandemic, 4—social capital), with a total of 18 items in the questionnaire. The reliability of the questionnaire was analysed using Cronbach’s coefficient reached 0.835. Confirmatory factor analysis was also used to test the predicted factor structure. (3) In general, this research found that parents were more likely to express dissatisfaction if their child was only provided with 2 PE classes per week and would accept an increase in this number. Those parents whose children do not participate in organized physical activities were shown to be unsatisfied with their children’s physical fitness. A more significant limitation of children’s physical activity (PA) was observed among parents with secondary education. Parents with secondary education also feel that their child partaking in PA when they have free time is not so important, whereas parents with a higher level of education feel that it is. (4) Parents expressed positive evaluations of PE and recognized the importance it has in their child’s education. In the questionnaire, questions were related to physical fitness and PA specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic and this research observes the differences in opinions of parents depending on the level of education they attained and the gender of their child.

Children and parents’ perspectives of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Ontario children’s physical activity, play, and sport behaviours

Background The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures have resulted in the closure of many physical activity-supporting facilities. This study examined Ontario parents’ and children’s perspectives of COVID-19’s impact on children’s physical activity behaviours, return to play/sport during COVID-19, as well as barriers/facilitators to getting active amid extended closures of physical activity venues. Methods Parents/guardians of children aged 12 years and under living in Ontario, Canada were invited to participate in an interview. 12 parent/guardian and 9 child interviews were conducted via Zoom between December 2020 – January 2021, were audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Thematic content analysis was undertaken to identify pronounced themes. Results Themes for both parent and child interviews fell into one of three categories: 1) barriers and facilitators for getting children active amid COVID-19 closures of physical activity-supporting facilities; 2) changes in children’s activity levels; and, 3) perspectives on return to play/sport during and post-pandemic. Various subthemes were identified and varied between parents and children. The most common facilitator for dealing with children’s inactivity voiced by parents/guardians was getting active outdoors. Parents/guardians noted their willingness to have their children return to play/sport in the community once deemed safe by public health guidelines, and children’s willingness to return stemmed primarily from missing their friends and other important authority figures (e.g., coaches) and sporting events (e.g., tournaments). Conclusions Findings from this study could inform families of feasible and realistic strategies for increasing children’s physical activity during community closures, while also providing public health experts with information regarding what supports, or infrastructure might be needed during future lockdown periods and/or pandemics.

Teachers’ and Parents’ Perspectives on Promoting Primary School Children’s Physical Activity at School: A Qualitative Study

Lack of children’s physical activity remains a relevant problem that urges the need to find solutions. As physical activity starts to decline already in primary school, this study explores the possibilities of promoting physical activity at school. Specifically, this study aimed to gain an understanding of teachers’ and parents’ perspectives of promoting children’s physical activity in primary school. Five semi-structured focus groups were conducted with primary school teachers (n = 31, aged 30–62) and five with the parents of primary school children (n = 25, aged 31–48). The data from the focus groups were analyzed using thematic analysis. Six main themes emerged from the study, reflecting teachers’ and parents’ perspectives on promoting primary school children’s physical activity at school: physical and psychological changes of children’s, parents’ attitudes towards physical activity, adapting school facilities for children’s physical activity, organization of the physical education process, teacher’s personality, teachers’, and parents’ partnership. The findings revealed the most significant barriers to promoting physical activity among primary school children as perceived by teachers and parents and the opportunities for not only overcoming these barriers but also increasing children’s physical activity at school.

Parents’ Report of Canadian Elementary School Children’s Physical Activity and Screen Time during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study

COVID-19 public health protocols have altered children’s daily routines, limiting their physical activity opportunities. The purpose of this study was to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic affected children’s (ages 10–12 years) physical activity and screen time, and to explore the impact of gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and public health constraints (i.e., facility use and social interaction) on the changes in children’s health behaviors. Online surveys were disseminated to parents at two time points: before COVID-19 (May 2019 to February 2020) and during COVID-19 (November to December 2020). Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to assess changes in physical activity and screen time, and for subgroup analyses. Parents (n = 95) reported declines in children’s physical activity (Z = −2.53, p = 0.01, d = 0.18), and increases in weekday (Z = −4.61, p < 0.01, d = 0.33) and weekend screen time (Z = −3.79, p < 0.01, d = 0.27). Significant changes in physical activity and screen time behaviors were identified between gender, SES, and facility use groups. All social interaction groups underwent significant changes in screen time. Overall, COVID-19 protocols have negatively influenced children’s physical activity and screen time. Due to the negative consequences of inactivity and excessive screen time, resources must be made available to support families during the pandemic.