Physical Activity In Schoolchildren Research Articles

Lung Function Increases with Increasing Level of Physical Activity in School Children

Little is known about the association between physical activity and lung function in childhood. We conducted a survey including parental reports of the child's participation in physical activity and measurements of lung function. The associations between physical activity and lung function were estimated by linear regression analysis adjusting for potential confounders in 2,537 children (9 to 10 years). Using the linear model in exploring the effect of physical activity on lung function with those who were physical active less than once a week as the reference category, showed that forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) was highest among those who were physical active > or = 4 times a week also when adjusting for potential confounders (p = .02). FEV1 increased with 70 ml. A similar pattern was present for forced vital capacity (FVC; p = .002). The present study suggested that lung function was highest in highly physical active children age 9 to 10 years. The implications are that exercise may influence lung function, but these findings need to be confirmed using a longitudinal study design.

Primary school children's health-enhancing physical activity patterns: the school as a significant environment?

The moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of 70 children (age 8.6 years; 40 boys) was measured and gender and age differences were compared. Boys spent 28 minutes per day more than girls in MVPA (p=0.02, d=0.54), and younger children accumulated 24 minutes more MVPA than older peers (p=0.0001, d=0.91). Similar gender and age-related trends were apparent during segmented periods of the day. The majority of daily MVPA was accrued during school-related time (56.4±9.1%; p=0.0001, d=1.57). The findings reinforce the significance of schools as key environments for MVPA participation and promotion.

Pedometer determined physical activity levels in primary school children from central England

Objective To assess ambulatory physical activity in school children from central England, to examine any variation in activity between weekdays and weekends and to determine the percentage of children meeting recently identified cut-off steps/day for health. Method 208 British primary school children (101 boys and 107 girls, mean age 9.3 ± 0.9 years) from central England wore a sealed pedometer for 4 consecutive days (2 weekend and 2 weekdays) during 2006 from which daily step counts were determined. Data were collected over winter, spring and summer terms. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to examine potential time (weekend versus weekday), gender and age differences in steps/day. Results Children attained significantly higher mean steps/day during weekdays than weekends ( p < 0.001), and boys attained significantly higher mean steps/day than girls ( p < 0.05). Mean steps/day values were 13,827 (38,201) and 10,334 (4436) for weekdays and weekends and 12,263 (3789) and 11,748 (3310) for boys and girls respectively. 28.7% of boys and 46.7% of girls met or exceeded the BMI referenced cut-offs for health. Conclusion Physical activity was greater during weekdays compared to weekends and boys were more active than girls but the majority of children did not meet the health-related cut-off points.

Respiratory symptoms and their correlations with BMI, TV‐watching time and physical activity in schoolchildren in Taipei, Taiwan.

The study investigated the rates of respiratory symptoms (RS) and their associations with BMI, TV-watching time, and physical activity (PA) in 5th grade schoolchildren in Taipei, Taiwan. A survey questionnaire elicited height, weight, TV-watching time, frequency of PA, and occurrences of RS of 2290 5th grade schoolchildren. RS included persistent cough, chest tightness, wheezing with cold, wheezing without cold, dyspnea-associated wheezing, and exercise-induced cough or wheezing. Results showed that 31% of boys and 21% girls had BMI above 85th percentile of Taiwanese standard. Around 30% of boys and 26% of girls watched TV >3 h/d, while 31% of boys and 18% of girls had PA >30 min/d. TV-watching >3 h/d was positively associated with BMI >85th percentile (aOR=1.45, 95% CI=1.11-1.89) (P<0.01), but frequency of PA was not. Schoolchildren who were overweight (BMI >95th percentile) were 47%–94% more likely to have RS (P<0.05). Watching TV for >3 h/d was associated with the higher rates of RS (P<0.05). PA for >30 min/d and >3 times/wk was associated with the lower rates of RS (P<0.05). Also, overweight was positively associated with the rate of suspected asthma in boys (aOR=1.56, 95% CI=1.07-2.29) (P<0.05), but not in girls. Results suggest that longer TV-watching time was positively associated with greater risk of being overweight. Overweight and TV-watching time are positively associated with risk of RS, while habitual PA is negatively associated with risk of RS. Funding provided by University of Michigan.

Physical activity of school children and their parents in Vojvodina

Physical activity is very important for normal physical and psychic growth and development. Recent studies in developed and developing countries have shown that today's schoolchildren are spending more and more time in front of the TV and computer, and less and less are engaged in sports. Such lifestyle has a negative effect on health. That is why it is very important for children to develop active habits for life, in order to sustain and promote their health. The study included a random sample of 210 children from 4 elementary schools and their parents in Vojvodina. Specially designed questionnaires were used. The obtained results showed that 75% of schoolchildren are engaged in physical activity, but only 56.5% play sports regularly (every day or 2-3 times a week). There is a significant difference between boys and girls: about 75% of boys and 35% of girls are engaged in physical activity regularly. Similar results have been obtained by other authors (O'Reilly and Shelley, Faucette, Heath etc). Common reasons for physical activity are health, fitness and fun. Pupil's attitude to sports significantly depends on their parent's opinion about physical activity and also on their attitude to recreation in their future life. Parents are not active as their children, only 40% of fathers and 30% of mothers are engaged in various activities regularly. This study showed that schoolchildren are engaged in physical activity, but not enough. On the other hand, their parents are very inactive, although they see the importance of it. Considering the fact that present recreational habits are correlated with the attitude to recreation in the future, an additional effort should be made in health education and health promotion in young population.

Injuries during physical activity in school children

During the spring of 2001, 1975 children, from grades 3, 6 and 9 participated in a nationwide, multidisciplinary collaboration study. The students came from randomly selected classes throughout Sweden, representing different geographical and socio-economic areas. The aim of this study was to collect and evaluate self-reported injuries and associated factors during various physical activities as recalled retrospectively for 3 months by the students. Every sixth student (n=299 or 16%) reported 306 injuries. Twice as many girls than boys were injured during physical education class. Ninth-grade students reported relatively more injuries during organized sports than during physical education class and leisure activities. There were no age or gender differences in incidence rate during leisure activities. Most injuries were minor, as 70% were back in physical activity within a week. Half of the students (50%) reported that they previously had injured the same body part. Primary care of the injured student was, with the exception of a family member, most often carried out by the physical education teacher or coach, which accentuates the importance of continuous sports medicine first aid education for this group.

Habitual Physical Activity of School Children with Mild and Moderate Mental Retardation in Different Special School Environment

Habitual Physical Activity of School Children with Mild and Moderate Mental Retardation in Different Special School Environment

Habitual Physical Activity of School Children with Mild and Moderate Mental Retardation in Different Special School Environment

Habitual Physical Activity of School Children with Mild and Moderate Mental Retardation in Different Special School Environment

Final Year Primary School Children's Physical Activity Levels and Choices

The present study was undertaken to examine the physical activity levels and choices of a sample of 10–11 year‐old primary school children. Nine hundred and twenty‐four children completed a self‐report questionnaire devised to assess participation in physical activity over the previous 7 days. Over the previous week 17.1% of the children failed to accumulate 30 min total physical activity, in particular, over one fifth of the girls (21.2%) had not participated in more than 30 min in total. Less than one third (31.5%) of the children had satisfied the recommended level of physical activity for increasing cardiorespiratory fitness, HDL cholesterol and enhancing psychological health, although more boys (36.3%) had satisfied the criteria than girls (26.7%). Gender differences were also apparent in the activities chosen, the boys were more likely to participate in the team sports traditionally taught in physical education whilst the girls spent more of their time engaged in sports not usually included in the curriculum.

Physical activity, obesity, and cardiovascular risk factors in children. The Belgian Luxembourg Child Study II.

Physical activity was measured in relation to cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in a randomly selected population of 1028 children from Province de Luxembourg in Belgium, a mainly rural area with a high prevalence of such risk factors among adults and children. Physical activity was estimated as participation in sport activities, a major indicator of leisure-time physical activity in schoolchildren, and physical inactivity was estimated as frequency and duration of television (TV) watching. Boys participated more frequently in sport activities than girls did (p = 0.001). A majority of the children watched TV daily. After age adjustment, bodyweight (girls, p < 0.012; boys, p < 0.027) and, in boys, body mass index (BMI) (p < 0.039) were related to days per week of TV watching. No significant relationships with other CV risk factors remained after adjustments for BMI. In analyses of independent contributions of age, TV watching, and sports activity on CV risk factors, age showed highly significant relationships. In boys, TV showed relationships with BMI (p < 0.04) and (borderline) with systolic blood pressure, independent of age and sports activity, whereas the latter was significantly related to subscapular skinfold (p < 0.04) and (borderline) with triceps skinfold and cholesterol. In girls, no significant independent contributions to risk factor associations were found. The father's education was directly associated with sports activities, whereas the mother being a housewife showed negative relationships to physical activity and positive to TV watching in their children, suggesting socioeconomic influence on the activity patterns of children. Furthermore, registrations suggested less physical activity in the most rural part of the area. It is concluded that children in this mainly rural area watch TV frequently. In boys, physical inactivity, measured both as TV watching and as registrations of sports activities, contributes independently to body fat mass. In girls, no contribution or weaker contributions of physical inactivity were found. This suggests that contributory factors leading to obesity might be different in girls and boys.

Walking to school has future benefits

EDITOR,—Helen Trippe highlights the important role of government policy in encouraging physical activity in schoolchildren.1 The government's new policy statement on sport, Raising the Game, proposes a minimum of two hours of sport and physical education a week for all children up to age 16.2 For Trippe, the policy statement is a start but is not enough: “Interventions to change children's preferred activity levels need to …

Exercise Performance and Serum Lipids in Relation to Physical Activity in Schoolchildren

37 Schoolchildren aged 11 to 13 years were studied: 9 trained boys and 7 trained girls, 12 nontrained boys and 9 nontrained girls. The trained children participated regularly in track and field training and competitions. All 37 children performed the pulse-conducted exercise test with an acceleration of 8 beats/min2 on a bicycle ergometer. In addition to the ergometric parameter, i.e., the total work, the serum lipids were determined from fasting blood samples.