Children's Pedometer-determined Physical Activity During School-time and Leisure-time

Abstract

The pedometer is increasingly used to quantify physical activity in children. Examination of steps accumulated in different contexts and how this varies by gender and children's activity level can inform activity interventions. The current study measured the pedometer steps of 7–11-year-old British children during school- and leisure-time on weekdays and weekend days. Participants (n = 104, 58% girls) wore sealed pedometers on 4 weekdays and 2 weekend days; pedometer counts were recorded at the beginning and end of the school day on weekdays, and at the child's bedtime each day. Differences in step counts across context by gender and activity tertile (high-, mid- or low-active) were examined. In both boys and girls, steps accumulated in weekday leisure time were greater in the high-active groups than in the mid- and low-active groups (p < 0.001), with relatively smaller differences between activity tertiles for steps accumulated at school. In girls, the high- and mid-active groups, but not the low-active group, accumulated more steps during leisure-time than during school-time (p = 0.001) on weekdays; in boys, all groups accumulated more steps during leisure-time relative to school-time (p < 0.001). Girls took fewer steps on weekend days than weekdays, whereas boys' steps did not differ by type of day. As fewer steps are accumulated at the weekend, the out-of-school environment should be a focus for activity interventions. Low-active girls, in particular, would benefit from interventions targeting weekday leisure time.