Abstract
BackgroundVariability exists in children’s activity patterns due to the association with environmental, social, demographic, and inter-individual factors. This study described accelerometer assessed physical activity patterns of high and low active children during segmented school week days whilst controlling for potential correlates.MethodsTwo hundred and twenty-three children (mean age: 10.7 ± 0.3 yrs, 55.6% girls, 18.9% overweight/obese) from 8 north-west England primary schools wore ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers for 7 consecutive days during autumn of 2009. ActiGraph counts were converted to minutes of moderate (MPA), vigorous (VPA) and moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) physical activity. Children were classified as high active (HIGH) or low active (LOW) depending on the percentage of week days they accumulated at least 60 minutes of MVPA. Minutes spent in MPA and VPA were calculated for school time and non-school time and for five discrete school day segments (before-school, class time, recess, lunchtime, and after-school). Data were analysed using multi-level modelling.ResultsThe HIGH group spent significantly longer in MPA and/or VPA before-school, during class time, lunchtime, and after-school (P < .05), independent of child and school level factors. The greatest differences occurred after-school (MPA = 5.5 minutes, VPA = 3.8 minutes, P < 0.001). MPA and VPA were also associated with gender, BMI z-score, number of enrolled children, playground area per student, and temperature, depending on the segment analysed.The additive effect of the segment differences was that the HIGH group accumulated 12.5 minutes per day more MVPA than the LOW group.ConclusionsHIGH active children achieved significantly more MPA and VPA than LOW active during four of the five segments of the school day when analyses were adjusted for potential correlates. Physical activity promotion strategies targeting low active children during discretionary physical activity segments of the day, and particularly via structured afterschool physical activity programs may be beneficial.
Highlights
Variability exists in children’s activity patterns due to the association with environmental, social, demographic, and inter-individual factors
Evidence regarding the benefits of regular physical activity for youth continues to mount but in many countries physical activity engagement remains below levels deemed necessary to receive many of these benefits [1]
The aims of this study were (1) to describe accelerometer assessed physical activity patterns during segmented school week days, (2) to investigate the magnitude of differences in physical activity between high and low active children during segments of school week days, and (3) to investigate associations between child and school-level correlates with the physical activity of high and low active children during segments of school week days
Summary
Variability exists in children’s activity patterns due to the association with environmental, social, demographic, and inter-individual factors. This study described accelerometer assessed physical activity patterns of high and low active children during segmented school week days whilst controlling for potential correlates. To our knowledge only two other studies of activity patterns during the segmented school week have controlled for the effects of such physical activity correlates [9,13]. Both of these were observational studies which sampled UK 9–10 year olds. Steele and colleagues assessed sedentary time, and vigorous physical activity during school time, out of school, on week days and at weekends, and adjusted their analyses for anthropometric and demographic child-level correlates [9]
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