Effects of Children's Outdoor Physical Activity in the Urban Neighborhood Activity Space Environment.

This study aimed to explore the predictive associations of parental exercise consciousness with the physical activity (PA) status and characteristics of 9-11-year-old children, in an attempt to identify effective strategies for addressing PA insufficiency in children from a parental standpoint. The PA rating scale-3 and the Chinese Civic Exercise Consciousness Questionnaire were used to measure primary school students' PA and their parents' exercise consciousness from 361 families in Tianjin, China. The dimensions of exercise consciousness were cognition and identity (CI), sentiment and intention (SI), attitude and willingness (AW), and rights and responsibilities (RR) dimensions. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA with post-hoc test analysis, correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression analysis were performed. First, children's PA increased with age, with boys significantly exceeding girls (p < 0.01). Significant gender differences were observed in both PA intensity and frequency (boys higher than girls, p < 0.01), although this was not consistent across age groups. Variations in PA duration and frequency showed significant age-related changes (p < 0.01), whereas intensity showed significant changes at older ages (p < 0.01). Second, we observed moderate to above-average level of parental exercise consciousness, and a significantly positive correlation between parental exercise consciousness and children's PA levels (α = 0.601, p < 0.01); meanwhile, all four dimensions of parental exercise consciousness showed varying degrees of positive correlations with children's PA intensity, duration, and frequency (p < 0.01). Third, stratified linear regression analysis showed the varied predictive associations of the different dimensions of parental exercise consciousness with children's PA intensity, duration, and frequency. SI and AW significantly predictively associated with PA levels across different age groups and genders (p < 0.05). Age and gender showed crucial associations with children's PA levels, resulting in distinct preferences and behaviors between boys and girls across various age groups. Parental exercise consciousness of exercise positively associated with the intensity, frequency, and overall volume of children's PA. Enhancing parental consciousness of exercise-related emotions, intentions, attitudes, and willingness may effectively associate with enhancements in the intensity, duration, and frequency of their children's PA, ultimately promoting greater engagement in physical exercise among the youth.

We develop an observation system that quantifies the duration, intensity, and frequency of children's physical activities. We use this system to assess the level and tempo of energy expenditure under free-ranging, natural conditions experienced by 15 children aged 6-10 yr in southern California. Observations were recorded every 3 s during 4-h time blocks from 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Agreement among observers using the coding system was 91%. Using indirect calorimetry, calibration studies in the laboratory determined VO2 (ml.min-1.min-1) during each coded activity, and activities were categorized by intensity (low, medium, or high). Subjects were found to engage in activities of low intensity 77.1% of time and activities of high intensity 3.1% of time. The median duration of low and medium intensity activities was 6 s, of high intensity activities only 3 s with 95% lasting less than 15 s. Children engaged in very short bursts of intense physical activity interspersed with varying intervals of low and moderate intensity. These findings may be important for discovering how children's activity patterns under natural conditions influence physiological processes leading to growth and development. This study demonstrates the advantages of using an observational system that captures more than the intensity and frequency of children's activities to include duration and the length of intervals between activities of varying intensity.

To describe active and sedentary time in children with spina bifida and to compare their physical activity on weekdays versus weekends. In this exploratory cross-sectional study, data from 13 Canadian and 22 Dutch children with spina bifida (14 females, 21 males; mean age 10y 11mo, standard deviation [SD] 3y 6mo, range 5y 6mo-18y; Hoffer classification distribution: community [n=28], household [n=3], non-functional [n=3], and non-ambulator [n=1]) were analysed. Objective measures of physical activity and sedentary behaviour were obtained by using ActiGraph or Actiheart activity monitors. Data for the participants wearing the ActiGraph were compared with age- and sex-matched controls that were developing typically using independent-samples t-tests. Activity data collected on weekdays was compared to those on weekends. ActiGraph data demonstrated children with spina bifida spent more time sedentary (mean [SD] 49.5min/h [5.78]) and less time in moderate to vigorous physical activity (mean [SD] 2.33min/h [1.61]) compared with the typically developing group (mean [SD] 41.0min/h [5.76] and 5.46min/h [2.13], p=0.001 and p<0.001 respectively). For both ActiGraph- and Actiheart-derived data, physical activity and sedentary time were not significantly different between weekdays and weekends. Children with spina bifida have reduced levels of physical activity and increased sedentary behaviour, with no statistical differences seen between weekdays and weekends. Several methodological issues related to activity monitoring warrant consideration when choosing the appropriate method to quantify physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Reduced levels of physical activity and sedentary time were quantified in children with spina bifida. Objective quantification of physical behaviour in ambulatory and non-ambulatory school-aged children with spina bifida is possible.

Relevance. The increase of children interest in entertainment TV programs, mobile applications and video games available on the internet causes a significant decrease in their physical activity: children get used to a sedentary or lying down lifestyle. The research problem lies in the contradiction that arises due to understanding of the positive effect of physical activity on the development of the regulatory functions of a preschooler, and a significant decrease in this activity in the digital conditions of the modern educational environment. The relevance and prospects of the study of the relationship between regulatory functions and physical activity of preschool children in new digital environment are not yet fully realized. The objective of the paper is to review the studies by foreign scientists in order to identify and describe relevant indicators of physical activity in preschool children interrelated with the main components of regulatory functions (inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility). Method. A theoretical review of research papers published over the past ten years (2010–2020) on the subject of relationship of various physical activity indicators and regulatory functions in preschool children. Results. The paper provides a comparative analysis of studies conducted by foreign authors. It allows to reveal basic indicators of physical activity in children which are essential for the development of regulatory functions (sufficiency of physical activity; age-related appropriateness; the nature of physical activity; the form of physical activity arrangement), and particular indicators (the relationship of physical activity and regulatory functions in various sports, duration and intensity of physical activity, the availability of software for the development of physical activity in preschool children) as well. Conclusions. The review showed that the majority of the authors emphasized the significant role of basic physical activity indicators and their influence on regulatory functions. Aerobic exercises are the most effective in the development of regulatory functions in preschool children. Particular indicators are selected from the studies of the development of regulatory functions in specific sports (football, karate, yoga, mini-trampoline), and additional research on the duration and intensity of physical activity is needed.

BackgroundConsistent evidence suggested that physical activity (PA) may delay dementia onset. However, the dose‐response association between PA and dementia remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the association between the volume, duration, and intensity of PA and incident dementia among older adults across diverse geographic regions.MethodWe harmonized longitudinal data from nine community‐based cohorts in seven countries covering five continents in the Cohort Studies of Memory in an International Consortium (COSMIC). The frequency and duration of performing various PAs per week were collected through questionnaires. Each activity was assigned a metabolic equivalent value (MET). The volume of each PA (MET‐hours) was calculated as the MET multiplied by the hours spent performing the activity. The average PA intensity was calculated as the total volume divided by the total duration hours of PA. Incident dementia was diagnosed after a median of 5.4 years of follow‐up. To explore the dose‐response associations, participants who reported doing regular PA were categorized into subgroups with stratified levels of the volume, duration, or intensity of PA. Multivariate Cox regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) of incident dementia in each group with the lowest volume, duration, or intensity as the reference group. Age, sex, educational year, cohort, APOE, body mass index, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and depression were adjusted as the confounders.ResultA total of 8849 participants (51921 person‐years of follow‐up) were included in our analysis. Compared to engaging in low‐intensity activities (2.3≤MET≤3), engaging in moderate to high‐intensity activities was associated with a lower risk of incident dementia (3.00&lt;MET≤4.00, adjusted HR=0.80, 95% CI=0.59‐1.08; MET&gt;4, adjusted HR=0.58, 95% CI=0.40‐0.84; p for trend=0.004) . There was no significant dose‐response relationship between the volume or duration of PA and the risk of incident dementia.ConclusionOur analysis demonstrated a dose‐response association between PA intensity (but not volume or duration) and dementia risk. This evidence could potentially enrich the current recommendations for the protective effect of PA on dementia onset. While waiting for additional evidence from randomized interventions, older adults may be encouraged to perform a higher intensity of PA to preserve cognition.

Background Since the outbreak and global spread ofCOVID-19, countries rapidly introduced a range of preventative measures and isolation protocols to ensure safety, which ultimately led to the implementation of total lockdowns. As a result, children lost access to spaces where they typically engage in physical activity and were required to stay indoors. Objective The objective of this study is to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's physical activity levels and analyze the factors influencing their physical activity during this period. Methods Parents from various Emirates participated in an online survey to evaluate changes in their children's physical activity during the COVID-19 lockdown compared to the pre-lockdown period. The survey included questions about time spent on sedentary activities, general physical activity, and specific play behaviors before and during the lockdown. It also assessed the parents' own physical activity and their involvement in their children's activities. The relationships between these behaviors, as well as demographic and environmental factors, were analyzed. Results The study included 272 parents who completed an online survey about their child's physical activity during the COVID-19 lockdown. Many parents reported significant changes in their children's physical activity and screen time. Specifically, 89 (32.7%) observed a major decrease in physical activity, while 77 (28.3%) noted a minor decrease. Regarding screen time, 79 (29.0%) of parents reported a major increase, and 87 (32.0%) saw a minor increase. Key factors influencing children's physical activity were identified. Most notably, parents' own activity levels had a significant impact on their children's activity (p < 0.001). Additionally, children living in villas were more active than those living in apartments or traditional houses (p = 0.007), and UAE national children were slightly more active than non-nationals (p = 0.023). Conclusion This study demonstrated the significant impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on children's activity and emphasized the importance of parental involvement in supporting their children's activity levels. It highlights the need for increased attention during the recovery phase from this crisis and calls for the development of strategies and guidelines to prevent similar challenges in future pandemics or similar emergencies.

Are children and adolescents less active if parents restrict their physical activity and active transport due to perceived risk?

Objective monitors have become the method of choice for assessing physical activity (PA) intensity and duration in children, ignoring valuable information about the context in which the behavior is performed. Although direct observation provides rich context information, it is time-intensive and usually performed on a group level. Combining Global Positioning System (GPS) unit and objective monitor data may offer context to PA assessments, on a group and individual level. PURPOSE: To assess differences in children’s free-play PA intensity and duration across playground locations (context) on a group and individual basis. METHODS: 3rd through 5th grade children were recruited from a local elementary school in Athens, OH. Height and weight were measured to calculate body mass index (BMI) in order to classify the children as healthy weight (HW, BMI<85th %ile) or overweight/obese (OW, BMI≥85th %ile). During 3 recess periods, children were fitted with a triaxial accelerometer and GPS monitor with an elastic strap around the waist to collect 1-sec data on PA intensity, duration and location (field, sport-specific court, adventure play-structure, traditional play-structure). Accelerometer and GPS data were combined on a map of the school playground using geographical information systems software (ArcGIS™ 10.0). A multi-level mixed-model ANOVA was used to assess differences in PA intensity and duration overall and by playground location with sex and BMI classification as main effects. RESULTS: 24 children volunteered for the study (12 boys, 17 HW). Overall, girls spent a larger percentage of their recess time in light PA and less in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) compared to boys, while HW children spent a larger percentage of their recess time in light PA compared to OW children. The field resulted in the greatest percentage of MVPA for all groups, whereas the court was more sedentary. Boys spent more time (min) in MVPA playing in the field compared to locations with traditional or adventure play-structures, but they spent less time playing on in these locations. CONCLUSIONS: Combining accelerometer and GPS data is a viable method of assessing differences in PA patterns in children on a group and individual level. Validation of this method can revolutionize the measurement of children’s free-play physical activity. Funded by Interdisciplinary Research Award, College of Health Sciences and Professions, Ohio University.

Physical activity (PA), its location, social interactions and fundamental motor skills (FMS) were investigated in four-year-old Finnish children in day care. Six skills in the stability, locomotor and manipulative domains were assessed in 53 children (24 boys, 29 girls, normal anthropometry) with the APM-Inventory manual for assessing children’s perceptual and FMS and Total Motor Scores (TMS; 0–6 points) calculated. PA intensity, location, group composition and activity type − sitting, squatting, kneeling − were directly observed with a modified version of the Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children – Preschool Version (OSRAC – P) during three consecutive days in 14 centres. Altogether, 13,302 PA intervals were analysed. Results: Mean TMS was 2.45 (±1.8) points. Most PA intervals were coded as sedentary. Pearson Chi-squares indicated differences in PA intensities both between indoor and outdoor locations (p < 0.001) and between solitary and non-solitary group composition (p < 0.018). Indoors, more than 70% of intervals were spent being sedentary and 5% in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Outdoors, sedentary accounted for 45% and MVPA 19%. When solitary, 57% of intervals were sedentary and 13% MVPA. When non-solitary, 60% of intervals were sedentary and 12% MVPA. Forty-eight per cent of intervals were spent sitting, squatting or kneeling. TMS were not significantly associated with biological factors, PA or social interaction, but outdoor PA tended toward statistical significance (IRR = 1.88, p = 0.070), indicating higher TMS in those who demonstrated more outdoor PA. We concluded that PA in day care may be inadequate to support children’s FMS development.

BackgroundBest-practice early interventions to increase physical activity (PA) in children with overweight and obesity should be both feasible and evidence based. Walking is a basic human movement pattern that is practical, cost-effective, and does not require complex movement skills. However, there is still a need to investigate how much walking—as a proportion of total PA level—is performed by children who are overweight and obese in order to determine its utility as a public health strategy.ObjectiveThis study aimed to (1) investigate the proportion of overall PA indicators that are explained by step-based metrics and (2) study step accumulation patterns relative to achievement of public health recommendations in children who are overweight and obese.MethodsA total of 105 overweight and obese children (mean 10.1 years of age [SD 1.1]; 43 girls) wore hip-worn accelerometers for 7 days. PA volumes were derived using the daily average of counts per 15 seconds, categorized using standard cut points for light-moderate-vigorous PA (LMVPA) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Derived step-based metrics included volume (steps/day), time in cadence bands, and peak 1-minute, 30-minute, and 60-minute cadences.ResultsSteps per day explained 66%, 40%, and 74% of variance for counts per 15 seconds, LMVPA, and MVPA, respectively. The variance explained was increased up to 80%, 92%, and 77% by including specific cadence bands and peak cadences. Children meeting the World Health Organization recommendation of 60 minutes per day of MVPA spent less time at zero cadence and more time in cadence bands representing sporadic movement to brisk walking (ie, 20-119 steps/min) than their less-active peers.ConclusionsStep-based metrics, including steps per day and various cadence-based metrics, seem to capture a large proportion of PA for children who are overweight and obese. Given the availability of pedometers, step-based metrics could be useful in discriminating between those children who do or do not achieve MVPA recommendations.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02295072; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02295072

Most children fail to meet international physical activity (PA) recommendations. Can a single pediatric visit help reverse this trend? Brief counseling is infrequently used in clinical practice and its actual impact on children's activity levels remains uncertain. This study evaluates the impact of medical exercise prescriptions on children's PA levels compared to standard health advice. It also explores whether these prescriptions contribute to reducing daily screen time. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 130 children aged 6-14 years. Participants were randomized into two groups: one received brief standard health advice (HA, 2 min), and the other received a 10-minute intervention including a written medical exercise prescription (MEP). All sessions were delivered by three trained pediatricians following a standardized protocol. PA levels (duration and intensity), screen time, and anthropometric data were collected through the same questionnaires. Physical activity was assessed at 3 and 12 months by the same investigator. Multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate changes over time. Both interventions increased the duration and intensity of physical activity, with a significant increase in the number of children classified as physically active. An inverse relationship was observed between physical activity and screen time, indicating that promoting exercise may help reduce sedentary behavior. Parental satisfaction was high and similar in both groups, suggesting good acceptance of the interventions regardless of their format or duration. A short, focused message from a pediatrician-delivered in just a few minutes-can lead to lasting improvements in children's activity levels and screen habits. Brief health advice was as effective as personalized prescriptions, offering a simple, feasible and low-cost strategy to promote healthier lifestyles in primary care. https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/prs/beta/studies/S000F96J00000036/recordSummary, identifier NCT06765460.

Duration, frequency, and types of children's activities: Potential of a classification procedure

Plenary conference: Keys to successful physical activity during childhood

During recess, children can be active on a daily basis, making it an important school environmental factor for the promotion of health-related physical activity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of providing game equipment on children's physical activity levels during morning recess and lunch break in elementary schools. Seven elementary schools were randomly assigned to the intervention group (four schools), including 122 children (75 boys, 47 girls, mean age: 10.8 +/- 0.6 years), and to the control group (three schools), including 113 children (46 boys, 67 girls, mean age: 10.9 +/- 0.7 years). Children's activity levels were measured before and three months after providing game equipment, using MTI accelerometers. During lunch break, children's moderate and vigorous physical activity significantly increased in the intervention group (moderate: from 38 to 50%, vigorous: from 10 to 11%), while it decreased in the control group (moderate: from 44 to 39%, vigorous: from 11 to 5%). At morning recess, providing game equipment was effective in increasing children's moderate physical activity (from 41 to 45%), while it decreased in the control group (from 41 to 34%). Providing game equipment during recess periods was found to be effective in increasing children's physical activity levels. This finding suggests that promoting physical activity through game equipment provision during recess periods can contribute to reach the daily activity levels recommended for good health.

The school effect on children's school time physical activity: The PEACH Project