Abstract
BackgroundAn emerging public health strategy is to enhance children’s opportunities to be physically active during school break periods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the Lunchtime Enjoyment Activity and Play (LEAP) school playground intervention on primary school children’s quality of life (QOL), enjoyment and participation in physical activity (PA).MethodsThis study consisted of a movable/recycled materials intervention that included baseline, a 7-week post-test and an 8-month follow-up data collection phase. Children within an intervention school (n = 123) and a matched control school (n = 152) aged 5-to-12-years-old were recruited for the study. Children’s PA was measured using a combination of pedometers and direct observation (SOPLAY). Quality of life, enjoyment of PA and enjoyment of lunchtime activities were assessed in the 8-12 year children. A multi-level mixed effect linear regression model was applied in STATA (version 12.0) using the xtmixed command to fit linear mixed models to each of the variables to examine whether there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the intervention and control school at the three time points (pre, post and follow-up).ResultsSignificant overall interaction effects (group × time) were identified for children’s mean steps and distance (pedometers) in the intervention school compared to the control school. Intervention school children also spent significantly higher proportions within specified target areas engaged in higher PA intensities in comparison to the control school at both the 7-week post-test and 8-month follow-up. A short-term treatment effect was revealed after 7-weeks for children’s physical health scale QOL, enjoyment of PA and enjoyment of intra-personal play activities.ConclusionsExamining the effects of this school playground intervention over a school year suggested that the introduction of movable/recycled materials can have a significant, positive long-term intervention effect on children’s PA. The implications from this simple, low-cost intervention provide impetus for schools to consider introducing the concept of a movable/recycled materials intervention on a wider scale within primary school settings.Trial registrationAustralian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registration Number: ACTRN12613001155785.
Highlights
An emerging public health strategy is to enhance children’s opportunities to be physically active during school break periods
A significant overall interaction effect was identified for both steps and distance per minute in the intervention school compared to the control school for the three time points (Table 3 and Figure 2)
After the Lunchtime Enjoyment Activity and Play (LEAP) intervention was introduced, the mean proportion of children observed at the intervention school participating in vigorous intensity PA (VPA) was significantly higher than the control school (7-week post-test: +6.2% mean proportion of observed children, p =
Summary
An emerging public health strategy is to enhance children’s opportunities to be physically active during school break periods. Despite childhood being an important period to establish regular PA patterns that can track across the lifespan [4], our understanding of strategies to develop and sustain health enhancing PA behaviours among school children is limited [1,5]. With growing attention on schools to offer PA opportunities, there is a need to provide children with the essential skills to be physically active [11]. Despite this attention, research has identified a number of barriers to the delivery of effective Physical Education (PE) in schools [12]. Children’s diverse learning needs and personalities may respond to a range of non-curricular opportunities that facilitate PA [14]
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