Abstract
Schoolyards are recognized as important settings for physical activity interventions during recess. However, varying results have been reported. This pilot study was conducted to gain in-depth knowledge of children’s physical activity behavior during recess using a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative GPS and accelerometer measurements with qualitative go-along group interviews and participant observations. Data were collected during three weekdays in a public school in Denmark. Eighty-one children (47 girls) wore an accelerometer (ActiGraph GT3X) and GPS (QStarz BT-Q1000xt), sixteen children participated in go-along group interviews, and recess behavior was observed using an ethnographical participant observation approach. All data were analyzed separated systematically answering the Five W Questions. Children were categorized into Low, Middle and High physical activity groups and these groups were predominantly staying in three different locations during recess: school building, schoolyard and field, respectively. Mostly girls were in the building remaining in there because of a perceived lack of attractive outdoor play facilities. The children in the schoolyard were predominantly girls who preferred the schoolyard over the field to avoid the competitive soccer games on the field whereas boys dominated the field playing soccer. Using a mixed-methods approach to investigate children’s physical activity behavior during recess helped gain in-depth knowledge that can aid development of future interventions in the school environment.
Highlights
The physical, mental, and social health benefits of physical activity (PA) in children are well documented [1, 2]
In total 81 participants were included in the analyses and 22 (15 girls) belonged to the lowest activity quartile (Low), 38 (30 girls) to the middle two quartiles (Middle) and 21 (2 girls) to the highest quartile (High) based on minutes spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during recess
The median time spent in MVPA during recess was 2.8, 8.3 and 19.9 minutes for the Low, Middle and High PA group, respectively
Summary
The physical, mental, and social health benefits of physical activity (PA) in children are well documented [1, 2]. As recess PA has been reported to contribute with up to 40% of children’s recommended daily PA [5], the physical environment of the school has long been recognized as an effective setting for PA initiatives, schoolyards during recess [6, 7]. PA behavior during recess can vary widely depending on schoolyard space [8,9,10,11], facilities [12, 13], gender [14, 15] and social grouping [16, 17]. Studies in school-based PA interventions have reported varying results concluding that an in-depth exploration of children’s PA behavior during recess is needed [6, 18,19,20,21,22].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
