Individual and environmental correlates of school-based recess engagement

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine individual variables associated with children's levels of recess physical activity (PA), as well as environmental influences that influence children's engagement during recess. Participants (n = 146) were 4–6th grade students across seven schools. PA data were collected using the Fitbit Flex. Psychological need satisfaction at recess data were collected with a basic psychological need satisfaction for recess PA survey. Observations of recess activity engagement and the quality of the recess environment were also collected at 134 recess periods (n = 8340 children) across nine schools. Results of multi-level regression analyses indicated that gender and recess time were significant predictors of physical activity during recess. In examination of the environmental level factors, multi-level regression analyses revealed that ‘adult engagement and supervision’ was the only significant predictor for recess engagement in boys and girls. These findings suggest the amount of time allocated, and the quality of the recess environment must be included in evaluation of the critical factors relevant to engagement of students in physically active recesses.