The contribution of school breaks to the all-day physical activity of 9- and 10-year-old overweight and non-overweight children

Dorota Groffik,František Chmelík,Petra Nováková Lokvencová,Erik Sigmund,Karel Frömel

doi:10.1007/s00038-012-0355-z

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study examines whether moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), in at least 30-min school breaks (SB), helps to achieve the health-related amount of daily physical activity (PA) and whether these exercises influence after-school PA.MethodsThe ActiTrainer-based PA was monitored over two school days in 239 children aged from 9 to 10 (57.3% female; 20.1% overweight, and 19.2% obese), in Katowice, in February 2010. PA was assessed based on steps, heart rate, and duration of PA.ResultsMVPA, for 30 min during SB, represented an average of 1,258 steps for overweight girls and 1,620 steps for boys, and 1,336 steps for non-overweight girls and 1,758 steps for boys. Children with 30 min of MVPA during SB attained a higher daily amount of steps (p < 0.001) and duration of overall PA (p < 0.01), in comparison with less physically active children.ConclusionThe daily 30 min of MVPA during SB amounts to 12.5% of the overall number of steps for girls and 16.3% for boys, thus contributing to higher school PA and overall PA and leading to the achievement of the health-related minimum of PA.

Highlights

The worldwide growth in childhood obesity (Apfelbacher et al 2008; Stamatakis et al 2010) in connection with a corresponding decline in physical activity (PA) and inappropriate dietary patterns (Edwards et al 2010; Janssen et al 2005) has led to the need for open discussion regarding possible effective methods of increasing children’s daily PA
Objectives This study examines whether moderate-tovigorous physical activity (MVPA), in at least 30-min school breaks (SB), helps to achieve the health-related amount of daily physical activity (PA) and whether these exercises influence after-school PA
A higher heart rate at school (p \ 0.001) and overall daily PA (p \ 0.01) in girls with at least 30 min of MVPA school breaks was found when compared with girls with less than 30 min of MVPA during school breaks (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

The worldwide growth in childhood obesity (Apfelbacher et al 2008; Stamatakis et al 2010) in connection with a corresponding decline in physical activity (PA) and inappropriate dietary patterns (Edwards et al 2010; Janssen et al 2005) has led to the need for open discussion regarding possible effective methods of increasing children’s daily PA. These shorter PA episodes should be primarily carried out in PE lessons (Cale and Harris 2006; Strong et al 2005) and in break periods (Mota et al 2005; Ridgers et al 2010; Verstraete et al 2006) In relation to these findings, medical experts have stated that schools should ensure that all children and youth partake in a minimum of 30 min of MVPA during each school day (Pate et al 2006) and the total health-related minimum of steps should amount to 11,000 steps per day for girls and 13,000 for boys (President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports 2001; Vincent and Pangrazi 2002)

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