Abstract
Background. Recess is a great opportunity to interrupt sedentary behaviour and increase moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in schoolchildren. This quasi-experimental study aimed to compare the levels of physical activity (PA) during the school day of children in a school intervention programme vs. those in a control group, and to determine compliance with MVPA recommendations. Methods. A sample of 154 schoolchildren (6–12 years old) was obtained from several schools (70 with the intervention and 84 controls). This programme was structured with a duration of 90 min/session and performed three times/week. PA levels were recorded with triaxial accelerometers during the school day: during recess, during a PA session or physical education session (PE), and during lunchtime. No pre-intervention evaluation was performed. Results. The MVPA of the control group was higher than that of the intervention group during the first recess (p < 0.001). None of the groups complied with the recommendations for steps during the PA or PE sessions. During the PA session, sedentary time was lower and MVPA was higher, in the intervention group than in the control group. Fifty percent of the children from the intervention group complied with the MVPA recommendations, vs. 22.7% of those in the control group. Conclusions. The schoolchildren in the intervention group performed more MVPA than those in the control group. Future interventions could include other periods, such as recess and lunchtime, which are opportunities for improving the MVPA levels of schoolchildren.
Highlights
The benefits of physical activity (PA) for children and adolescents have been widely established [1,2].PA during childhood has an essential impact on health in adulthood, for example, increasing bone mineral density and reducing obesity risk [3]
No significant differences were found in the different variables, except in the percentage of participants who fulfilled the daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) recommendations (Table 2)
Our results showed lower values according to the established PA recommendations, with 17.4% of the time spent in MVPA for the intervention group and 23.2% spent in MVPA for the control group
Summary
The benefits of physical activity (PA) for children and adolescents have been widely established [1,2].PA during childhood has an essential impact on health in adulthood, for example, increasing bone mineral density and reducing obesity risk [3]. Recommended that children and adolescents from 5 to 17 years of age should perform at least 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) daily. A cut-off point has been established for being active: the minimum recommendation is 13,000 steps/day for boys and 12,000 steps/day for girls [5] Noncompliance with these recommendations categorizes children as physically inactive and increases the risk of obesity and comorbidities [6]. Recess is a great opportunity to interrupt sedentary behaviour and increase moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in schoolchildren. This quasi-experimental study aimed to compare the levels of physical activity (PA) during the school day of children in a school intervention programme vs those in a control group, and to determine compliance with MVPA recommendations. The MVPA of the control group was higher than that of the intervention group during the first recess (p < 0.001)
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