Abstract
Brief bouts of physical activity during the school day are an innovative method for increasing physical activity in the school setting. The purpose of the study was to investigate if the introduction of an outdoor active break, based on walking and running, in a middle school in Italy is feasible in terms of implementation (i.e., adherence, costs, safety) and acceptability (i.e., satisfaction, intent to continue use, perceived appropriateness). One hundred and forty students (aged 12 ± 1 years) and 20 teachers (aged 50 ± 8 years) participated in the activity for four months. The activity consisted of walking (or running) one kilometer outside the school buildings during the mid-morning. Data from questionnaires regarding the satisfaction with and the acceptability of the activity were collected.The activity was safely performed three to four days a week, without any costs to the school or to students’ parents. Students and teachers were satisfied with the activity (positive answers from 95% and 89% of each group, respectively). Moreover, the teachers reported that the program was easy to organize and did not negatively influence their teaching activities. The intervention was easily and safely implemented, and it was considered suitable for the daily routine of an Italian middle school. Further studies are needed to examine its impact on physical activity levels and academic achievement.
Highlights
Regular participation in physical activity is considered a milestone for health and well-being at all ages, and in particular, in childhood and adolescence
The first aim of this study was to investigate if the introduction of an outdoor active break, based on walking and running, in a middle school in Italy is feasible in terms of implementation and acceptability
The activity, called “1 km a day”, consisted of performing a physically active break in the mid-morning of walking or running for 1 km in the schoolyard. This intervention was inspired by a previous program called “The daily mile”, which was backed by the Scottish government [30,35]
Summary
Regular participation in physical activity is considered a milestone for health and well-being at all ages, and in particular, in childhood and adolescence. During childhood and adolescence, physical activity is important for both basic motor skills and musculoskeletal development [1,2]. Physical activity is associated with a reduction of health risks across the lifespan, such as overweight or obesity, diabetes and hypertension [3]. Despite these benefits, the amount of inactivity and sedentary behavior among children and adolescents has increased in the last years.
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