Abstract
BackgroundThe school environment influences children’s opportunities for physical activity participation. The aim of the present study was to assess objectively measured school recess physical activity in children from high and low socioeconomic backgrounds.MethodsFour hundred and seven children (6–11 years old) from 4 primary schools located in high socioeconomic status (high-SES) and low socioeconomic status (low-SES) areas participated in the study. Children’s physical activity was measured using accelerometry during morning and afternoon recess during a 4-day school week. The percentage of time spent in light, moderate, vigorous, very high and in moderate- to very high-intensity physical activity were calculated using age-dependent cut-points. Sedentary time was defined as 100 counts per minute.ResultsBoys were significantly (p < 0.001) more active than girls. No difference in sedentary time between socioeconomic backgrounds was observed. The low-SES group spent significantly more time in light (p < 0.001) and very high (p < 0.05) intensity physical activity compared to the high-SES group. High-SES boys and girls spent significantly more time in moderate (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively) and vigorous (p < 0.001) physical activity than low-SES boys.ConclusionsDifferences were observed in recess physical activity levels according to socioeconomic background and sex. These results indicate that recess interventions should target children in low-SES schools.
Highlights
The school environment influences children’s opportunities for physical activity participation
As physical activity (PA) opportunities do not seem to be equal across socioeconomic groups, it is possible that more emphasis should be placed on increasing PA among children from low socioeconomic group, especially in girls who are typically less active in this context [7]
Body Mass Index in children from low socioeconomic status (low-socioeconomic status (SES)) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher when compared to high-SES
Summary
The school environment influences children’s opportunities for physical activity participation. The aim of the present study was to assess objectively measured school recess physical activity in children from high and low socioeconomic backgrounds. The school environment influences children’s opportunities for physical activity (PA) [1]. Whilst differences have been reported in daily physical activity levels between low and high SES groups, a recent review has reported inconclusive effects of SES on children’s recess physical activity [7]. It could be argued that sociocultural factors may influence recess activity levels [9] and sex differences could be due to the fact that school environments are better adapted for boys than girls, rather than biological or social variations [10]. Due to the potential contribution of recess to daily PA recommendations, it is important to maximize the opportunities when children are active for those who may have limited opportunities for PA based on SES background
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