Physical Activity In Schoolchildren Research Articles

Body mass index and physical activity in schoolchildren with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder by clinical subtype

Body mass index and physical activity in schoolchildren with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder by clinical subtype

Assessing the Impact of Air Quality and Heat on Recess Physical Activity in School Children

Assessing the Impact of Air Quality and Heat on Recess Physical Activity in School Children

"A constant battle against sedentary lifestyle and screen time": Swedish school nurses' views on school children's physical activity and its promotion - a grounded theory study.

School nurses are in a key position to promote children's physical activity. They engage all children in health dialogues and use different approaches to inform children about physical activity and motivate them to change their physical activity level. In a school context, it is important to explore and problematize school nurses' views of children's physical activity and the influence of these views on their professional practice in the school health service. Identifying and problematizing school nurses' views of physical activity would enable them to create improved guidelines and equivalent ways of working in the future. Therefore, this study aims to discursively explore Swedish school nurses' views on school children's physical activity and its promotion and elucidate them through a discursive framework based on sensitizing concepts. This study uses a qualitative research design with a constructivist grounded theory approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 school nurses. The analysis resulted in a core category describing how school nurses use intertwined views to lead children from sedentarity to physical activity. Furthermore, the school nurses' practices were identified in three categories: fostering everyday movement as a tool for health, battling children's sedentarity under difficult conditions, and promoting everyday movement and compensating for unequal access. The results indicate that school nurses lack common and clear guidelines for their mission to promote physical activity to children, which may lead to inequality in access to physical activity for children and young people.

Genetics and Epigenetics from Physical Activity: Ghana Active Schools’ Programme and Ambidextrous Organisational Practices

Aim: In this paper, we examine how ambidextrous organisational practices can be used to advance the management of public basic schools in accepting behaviours that can improve physical activities of children.
 Methodology: Drawing on extant literature and desk review of policy documents including school reports, we examine physical activities in public basic schools in Ghana and then explore three key developmental systems – managerial responsiveness, healthcare variation and educational development and highlight four areas from these systems; organisational processes, infrastructure development, human resource improvements, and stakeholder collaboration where policy makers can focus their efforts to improving physical activity in school children in Ghana.
 Findings: The findings demonstrate a seeming absence of structures for physical activity in public basic schools in Ghana - presenting severe consequences, especially for the healthy growth of children, proper integration of children into society, learning processes, and developing talents for future sporting activities in general. Again, the analysis shows that the Ghana Education Service’s implementation guidelines for physical activity in public basic schools are not yielding the needed results - thus provoking policy dialogues in managerial practices for effective implementation of those guidelines. Next, we propose the promotion of physical activity in public basic schools in Ghana through sustainable and pragmatic approaches drawing from ambidextrous managerial practices to strengthen organisational capacity in the schools for improvements in movement behaviours, lifestyle changes, active learning, and physical activity levels of school children.
 Conclusion: Practical approaches are needed to enhance the physical activity for children and this requires the initiation of active schools’ programme in public basic schools – and clearly learning from best practices in the last decades, examples from other countries provide a really useful approach in the years ahead.

Autonomous motivation, social support, and physical activity in school children: moderating effects of school-based rope skipping sports participation.

Recent studies have shown that physical activity (PA) levels are low among children and adolescents globally. In order to reverse this trend, PA interventions are increasingly favoured. The school setting is the ideal place to address the issues that many children face. The purpose of this study was to (a) The primary focus of this study is to delve into the mediating role played by school-based rope skipping sports participation (SRSP) in the connection between social support and moderate to high-intensity physical activity (MVPA) among school children. (b) Additionally, this research aims to examine the moderating effect of within this pathway. We conducted a survey involving 721 adolescents residing in Changsha City. The participants' ages ranged from 8 to 12 years, with an average age of 9.84 ± 1.535 years. Out of these participants, 406 were boys, and 315 were girls. To assess variables such as social support and autonomous motivation, we employed standardized measurement scales. Subsequently, we analyzed the collected data using various statistical methods, including independent s-amples t-tests, bivariate correlation analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM), and the Johnson-Neyman method. An independent samples t-test revealed a statistically significant difference in MVPA between genders (p = 0.003 < 0.05), with boys exhibiting a higher level of engagement in MVPA compared to girls, Correlation analysis revealed significant positive associations among several key variables. Specifically, social support demonstrated a noteworthy positive correlation with autonomous motivation (r = 0.331, p < 0.01) as well as school children's engagement in MVPA (r = 0.308, p < 0.01). Moreover, autonomous motivation displayed a significant positive correlation with school children's involvement in MVPA (r = 0.459, p < 0.01). The moderating analysis revealed a significant influence of the interaction between increased participation in and social support on school children's engagement in MVPA. Social support and autonomy support have been proven effective in enhancing school children's engagement in MVPA. They exert their influence indirectly by fostering autonomous motivation. Notably, robust social support can significantly benefit MVPA school children with high activity requirements, particularly those regularly engaged in MVPA during the school day.

Classification of Motor Competence in Schoolchildren Using Wearable Technology and Machine Learning with Hyperparameter Optimization

Determining the classification of motor competence is an essential aspect of physical activity that must be carried out during school years. The objective is to evaluate motor competence in schoolchildren using smart bands, generate percentiles of the evaluation metrics, and classify motor performance through machine learning with hyperparameter optimization. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on 764 schoolchildren (451 males and 313 females) aged 6 to 17 years. Five state schools in the city of Arequipa, Peru were evaluated. Weight, height, and waist circumference were assessed, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The tests evaluated in the schoolchildren measured walking and running for 6 minutes. These tests were carried out using smart bands, capturing cadence, number of steps, calories consumed, speed, stride, and heart rate. As a result, the percentiles were created through the LMS method [L (asymmetry: lambda), M (median: mu), and S (coefficient of variation: sigma)]. The cut-off points considered were &lt;P25 (below average), p25 to p75 (average), and &gt;p75 (above average). For classification, the machine-learning algorithms random forest, decision tree, support vector machine, naive Bayes, logistic regression, k-nearest neighbor, neural network, gradient boosting, XGBboost, LightGBM, and CatBoost were used, and the hyperparameters of the models were optimized using the RandomizedSearchCV technique. In conclusion, it was possible to classify motor competence with the tests carried out on schoolchildren, significantly improving the accuracy of the machine-learning algorithms through the selected hyperparameters, with the gradient boosting classifier being the best result at 0.95 accuracy and in the ROC-AUC curves with a 0.98. The reference values proposed in this study can be used to classify the walking motor competence of schoolchildren. Finally, the mobile software product built based on the proposed model was validated using the prototype of the Software Quality Systemic Model (SQSM) based on three specific categories: functionality, reliability, and usability, obtaining 77.09%. The results obtained can be used in educational centers to achieve the suggested recommendations for physical activity in schoolchildren.

Motor competence, motivation and enjoyment in physical education to profile children in relation to physical activity behaviors

ABSTRACT Background: Motor competence (MC) has been recognized as a main goal in Physical Education (PE) and a determining element for the promotion of Physical Activity (PA). The interaction between MC and PA would be mediated not only by physical factors, but also by psychological and affective factors, so their study should consider an integral perspective. Evidence suggests that actual and perceived motor competence, motivation and enjoyment of PE classes play an important role in schoolchildren's PA practice. However, not all the schoolchildren behave in a similar manner, so it is necessary to understand how the combination of these variables can establish different subpopulations with different individual realities. Purpose: Following a person-centered approach, the present study aims (1) to examine profiles of Chilean children according to Actual Motor Competence (AMC), Perceived Motor Competence (PMC), intrinsic motivation and enjoyment of PE classes, and (2) to analyze how these profiles behave in relation to BMI and Physical Activity. Methods: Seven hundred and thirty schoolchildren (46.3% girls, age M = 11.22 SD = 0.70) in 5th and 6th grade of primary school participated. The instruments used for assessment were: MOBAK 5–6 test (AMC); SEMOK questionnaire (PMC); Questionnaire of Motivation in PE in Primary Education (intrinsic motivation); Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (enjoyment); and ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers (PA). Latent class analysis was conducted to identify homogeneous groups of schoolchildren with respect to AMC, PMC, intrinsic motivation and enjoyment of PE classes. Findings: Three-class solution was the best fit for the data. Profile 1 (high aligned) represents 21.9% of the sample, with high levels of AMC, PMC, motivation and enjoyment of PE classes. Profile 2 (nonaligned) represents 67.5% of the sample, with low levels of AMC, medium levels of PMC, and high motivation and enjoyment. Profile 3 (low aligned) represents 10.5% of the sample, with low levels of AMC and PMC, motivation and enjoyment. Schoolchildren of profile 1 were more active, with more daily minutes of MVPA, compared to schoolchildren of profile 2 or 3. The schoolchildren of profile 1 have a lower BMI than the schoolchildren of profile 2 or profile 3. Conclusion: Children of two of the profiles, involving the majority of the sample, may be at risk of unhealthy lifestyles, with less motivation and enjoyment for PE classes. Therefore, for PE classes and PA programs, it is important to give the same importance to psychological and affective factors as to purely physical ones. The teaching methodologies should put an emphasis on the development of AMC and PMC, through didactic strategies that encourage autonomous motivation and provide pleasant experiences for the schoolchildren.

Physical activity of schoolchildren with sensory impairments in stationary learning

Physical activity of schoolchildren with sensory impairments in stationary learning

Validity of activity wristbands for estimating daily physical activity in primary schoolchildren under free-living conditions: School-Fit study.

The use of activity wristbands to monitor and promote schoolchildren's physical activity (PA) is increasingly widespread. However, their validity has not been sufficiently studied, especially among primary schoolchildren. Consequently, the main purpose was to examine the validity of the daily steps and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) scores estimated by the activity wristbands Fitbit Ace 2, Garmin Vivofit Jr 2, and the Xiaomi Mi Band 5 in primary schoolchildren under free-living conditions. An initial sample of 67 schoolchildren (final sample = 62; 50% females), aged 9-12 years old (mean = 10.4 ± 1.0 years), participated in the present study. Each participant wore three activity wristbands (Fitbit Ace 2, Garmin Vivofit Jr 2, and Xiaomi Mi Band 5) on his/her non-dominant wrist and a research-grade accelerometer (ActiGraph wGT3X-BT) on his/her hip as the reference standard (number of steps and time in MVPA) during the waking time of one day. Results showed that the validity of the daily step scores estimated by the Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 and Xiaomi Mi Band 5 were good and acceptable (e.g., MAPE = 9.6/11.3%, and lower 95% IC of ICC = 0.87/0.73), respectively, as well as correctly classified schoolchildren as meeting or not meeting the daily 10,000/12,000-step-based recommendations, obtaining excellent/good and good/acceptable results (e.g., Garmin Vivofit Jr 2, k = 0.75/0.62; Xiaomi Mi Band 5, k = 0.73/0.53), respectively. However, the Fitbit Ace 2 did not show an acceptable validity (e.g., daily steps: MAPE = 21.1%, and lower 95% IC of ICC = 0.00; step-based recommendations: k = 0.48/0.36). None of the three activity wristbands showed an adequate validity for estimating daily MVPA (e.g., MAPE = 36.6-90.3%, and lower 95% IC of ICC = 0.00-0.41) and the validity for the MVPA-based recommendation tended to be considerably lower (e.g., k = -0.03-0.54). The activity wristband Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 obtained the best validity for monitoring primary schoolchildren's daily steps, offering a feasible alternative to the research-grade accelerometers. Furthermore, this activity wristband could be used during PA promotion programs to provide accurate feedback to primary schoolchildren to ensure their accomplishment with the PA recommendations.

A Systematic Review of the Implementation and Effectiveness of 'The Daily Mile' on Markers of Children's Health.

Currently, a high percentage of children globally fail to meet the World Health Organisation's (WHO) recommended daily physical activity (PA) guidelines. The Daily Mile (TDM) is a school-based PA initiative, designed to improve primary school children's PA behaviour. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the extant TDM implementation process and identify its impact on health-related metrics. Three databases were used to search for articles from the time TDM originated in 2012 until February 2022. The identification and screening process of articles for their ability to meet this review's eligibility criteria were facilitated by use of PRISMA and Rayyan. Sixteen articles from the initial search (n = 202) were deemed eligible for inclusion. An analysis of these articles identified five common outcome categories that permeated throughout the research articles: (1) cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF); (2) anthropometry and body composition; (3) PA; (4) cognition; and (5) process evaluation. Results presented from the included articles suggests TDM positively impacts markers of a variety of health-related metrics, namely CRF and PA. However, implementation barriers including TDM's repetitive nature, time constraints associated with competing curriculum demands and inadequate facilities regularly necessitate the adaptation and development of the original TDM format by schools and teachers.

Time-specific intervention effects on objectively measured physical activity in school children

Time-specific intervention effects on objectively measured physical activity in school children

Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Obesity and Physical Activity in Schoolchildren: The Effect of Mediation

There are only a few studies that have examined the interaction between physical activity (PA), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and overweightness/obesity in adolescents, and these studies have shown some limitations. The objective of this study was to examine whether the association between PA (moderate-vigorous PA [MVPA], moderate PA [MPA], and vigorous PA [VPA]) and obesity is mediated by CRF. This cross-sectional study was conducted in six middle and high-schools in the Porto district (Portugal), comprising 632 children and adolescents. Fat mass (FM), CRF, MVPA, MPA, and VPA were assessed. The Process macro for SPSS was used. CRF was significantly associated with PA for both children and adolescents. Likewise, FM was negatively and significantly associated with CRF for both children (β = -0.337) and adolescents (β = -0.255). FM was associated with PA in children (MVPA: β = -0.102; MPA: β = -0.118; VPA: β = -0.305) and adolescents (MVPA: β: -0.103; MPA: β = -0.082; VPA: β = -0.204). The mediation analysis showed that the association between PA (MVPA//MPA/VPA) and obesity was mediated by CRF, in both children and adolescents, with a significant value in the Sobel test. Obesity is associated with CRF and MVPA, MPA, and VPA. However, CRF acted as a complete mediator between the association of obesity and PA.

O3-8 A ban on smartphone usage during recess in increased 10-14 year old children's physical activity; a Danish school intervention study

BackgroundSchool recess provides a unique opportunity for children to be active. However, many children perceive smartphones as a key barrier for engaging in physical activity during recess. The aim was to investigate if a ban on smartphone usage during recess changed children's physical activity.MethodsDuring August-October 2020, children from grades 4-7 (10-14 yrs.) at six Danish schools were banned from using their smartphones during recess for a four-weeks period. Questionnaire and systematic observation (SOPLAY) data were collected from 814 children before intervention (baseline) and 828 during the last week of intervention (follow-up).ResultsThe mean frequency of physical activity significantly increased from baseline to follow-up (odds ratio = 1.370), as did physical activity on a moderate level (odds ratio = 1.387). Vigorous physical activity significantly decreased (odds ratio = 0.851). The increase in physical activity was found among both schools having outdoor and indoor recess, among both boys and girls and nearly equally among grades 4-7. Notably, we observed a much greater decrease in sedentary behavior and a slightly larger increase in moderate physical activity for girls than for boys and particularly boys decreased in vigorous physical activity. They might have changed their physical activity behavior in follow-up because more girls participated in physical activities, resulting in more children in the same space.ConclusionThis suggests that implementing a ban on smartphone usage during recess would, in line with the HEPA strategy, improve the everyday conditions for health among a broad range of children. To our knowledge, this is the first intervention study investigating if a ban on smartphone usage during recess changed schoolchildren's physical activity behavior. Thus, this study fills an important gap for researchers, school boards, teachers, health professionals, and politicians on how schoolchildren's physical activity during recess can be positively changed by policy.

P03-01 The effect of device-free recess on schoolchildren's physical activity and social interaction

BackgroundIn Denmark, 74% of the 11-15-years-old children do not reach national recommendations on physical activity and 6% (∼20.000 children), experience unwanted loneliness. School recess provides a unique opportunity for children to be active with others and form good relations. However, studies have found that many children perceive electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets and computers as a key barrier for engaging in active play with other children during recess. These findings are based on perceptions from qualitative data. To our knowledge, no studies have investigated the effect of device-free recess on children's recess behaviour. This knowledge is asked for by school boards, health professionals and politicians to inform future policies and actions. Therefore, the aim of this intervention study is to investigate the effect of device-free recess on schoolchildren's physical activity and social interaction.MethodsDuring April-June 2020 device-free recess environments will be implemented at seven Danish schools. Children will be asked to place their mobile phones, tablets and computers in locked? device-hotels? during recess for a four-weeks intervention period. Among a cohort of 900 children from Grades 4-6 (10-13 yrs.) physical activity and social interaction during recess will be measured before and during the last intervention week using questionnaire and systematic observation (SOPLAY). All data will be analysedusing multilevel modelling for repeated measures to see pre- versus post intervention changes.ResultsSince the data collection will be carried out in spring 2020, results cannot be presented yet. However, the results will be ready for the HEPA conference in September 2020. Our hypothesis is that the children will increase their physical activity level and social interaction. However, we will also look into recess behaviourpre- and post-intervention across different subgroups of children e.g., gender, age, screen and physical activity habits prior intervention.ConclusionsThe study will be a crucial contribution to the limited knowledge in this field, and in line with the strategy of HEPA, the ambition is to provide evidence-based knowledge on which to base future decisions to improve the everyday conditions for schoolchildren's physical, social and mental development and health.

Visual factors associated with physical activity in schoolchildren

ABSTRACT Clinical relevance Physical activity is an essential part of childhood physical and mental development. Recent research identified visual problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle in children in Ireland. Background This study explored the association between visual function in children and their engagement with physical activities outside school. Methods Participants were 1,626 schoolchildren (728 aged 6–7-years, 898 aged 12–13-years) in randomly selected schools in Ireland. Before data collection, parents/legal guardians of participants completed a standardised questionnaire reporting physical activity as no activity (mostly on screens), light activity (occasional walking/cycling), moderate activity (<3 hrs/week engaged in sports), or regular activity (>3hrs/week engaged in sports). Measurements included logMAR monocular visual acuities (with spectacles and pinhole), in the distance (3 m) and near (40 cm), stereoacuity (TNO stereo-test), cover test, and cycloplegic autorefraction (1% cyclopentolate). Results Controlling for confounders (socioeconomic disadvantage and non-White ethnicity), linear regression analysis revealed presenting distance visual acuity, near visual acuity, and stereoacuity were significantly better amongst participants who reported regular physical activity rather than moderate, light or no activity in both 6–7-year-old and 12–13-year-old participants. Absence of clinically-significant refractive error (>−0.50D < 2.00D) was associated with regular physical activity. Participants presenting with visual impairment (better-eye vision <6/12) (odds ratio = 5.78 (2.72–12.29)), amblyopia (pinhole acuity ≤6/12 plus an amblyogenic factor) (odds ratio = 5.66 (2.33–13.76)), and participants at school without their spectacles (odds ratio = 2.20 (1.33–3.63)), were more likely to report no activity. Conclusions Children regularly engaged in physical activities, including sports; had better visual and stereoacuity; and were less likely to need spectacles. Visual impairment, amblyopia, and refractive error were associated with no physical activity. Spectacle wear compliance was associated with regular physical activity. Regular physical activity is an essential factor in childhood vision and addressing visual impairment in children is vital to increasing participation in sports and exercise. Socioeconomically disadvantaged and non-White communities would benefit most from these measures.

Physical Activity in School Children in a Pandemic Period?: A Systematic Review

The purpose of this study was to review articles that were carried out systematically and qualitatively synthesized on physical activity for school students during a pandemic. The research method carried out by conducting a limited search was on studies published in the article search period from 2019 to 2021 by following the PRISMA guidelines, the search was carried out by systematically identifying 135 publications that underwent title, abstract, or full-text review. Studies were excluded if the articles were not in English or did not include original data. The results of a systematic review found 14 articles that met the eligibility criteria, based on self-reported data as many as 60% to 70% of school students did not meet the recommendations for physical activity that should be done such as walking, playing sports and cycling. Intrinsic factors such as motivation, the goal of maintaining health and changes in body shape provide a significant factor for the physical activity carried out. In conclusion, many factors cause this, such as the social environment, home environment, and changes in hormones, which are factors that often occur due to low physical activity. Physical activity that is often done but in low intensity is walking, cycling and sometimes doing the treadmill. Given that physical activity is not just physical activity outside the home, it is far from being a health promotion tool for a long period.

Overweight and obesity: Family factors, diet, and physical activity in school children from middle to high socioeconomic level in Cali, Colombia

ResumenIntroducción. Colombia es un país con problemas de sobrepeso y obesidad que, en muchas ocasiones, se deben a malos hábitos alimenticios.Objetivos. Describir la prevalencia del sobrepeso y la obesidad, así como los factores familiares, dietéticos y de actividad física en un grupo de escolares entre los 6 y los 9 años de edad pertenecientes al estrato socioeconómico 4 en Santiago de Cali, Colombia.Materiales y métodos. Se hizo un estudio descriptivo de corte transversal en 150 niños de una institución educativa. Los datos sociodemográficos se recolectaron con un instrumento validado previamente. Para el diagnóstico del estado nutricional, se tomaron medidas antropométricas y se analizaron con el programa Anthro Plus de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS). Se detectaron 62 niños con sobrepeso u obesidad.Resultados. En cuanto al diagnóstico nutricional, 42 (28 %) niños tenían sobrepeso y 20 (13 %), obesidad. El 78 % pertenecía a los estratos socioeconómicos 4 y 5. En cuanto a las características familiares, el 47 % tenía un solo hermano y el 25 % correspondía a hijos únicos; el 76 % de las madres y el 70 % de los padres eran profesionales; el 95 % de los niños no hacía actividad física importante.Conclusiones. En el análisis de la asociación entre algunas variables, se evidenció la relación entre el estado nutricional y el número de hermanos; los escolares con mayor prevalencia de sobrepeso u obesidad, con mayor frecuencia eran hijos únicos o tenían solo un hermano. Se estableció asociación con la edad de las madres, especialmente entre los 41 y los 50 años, la escolaridad de los padres, el hecho de tener una ocupación o trabajo fuera del hogar, y la pertenencia a los estratos socioeconómicos 4 y 5.

Convergent validity of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C): assessing moderate-to-vigorous or total physical activity?

ABSTRACT This study examines the convergent validity of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C) for assessing moderate-to-vigorous and total physical activity (PA) in school children. 430 participants (51.6% girls) aged 9–12 years provided valid accelerometer data (wGT3X-BT) and completed the PAQ-C. Convergent validity was assessed using Pearson correlations (r) and Bland-Altman plots. The PAQ-C total score was similarly associated with moderate-to-vigorous PA and total PA (r = .28 and .26, p < .001, respectively). 10- and 11-year-old groups were the only in which the PAQ-C was significantly associated with both accelerometer variables (p < .001). Girls showed higher associations (r = .31 for each, p < .001) than boys (r = .18 and .15 for moderate-to-vigorous PA and total PA, respectively, p < .05). Acceptable measurement bias for all age groups (range, 3.6–7%) was found. Researchers should be cautious when using the PAQ-C to assess moderate-to-vigorous PA in school children.

Modern approaches to optimizing the physical activity of children and adolescents of school age

The importance of physical activity for maintaining and strengthening health, learning success, increasing the number of factors that can affect the motor regime, determine the relevance of research on scientific substantiation of ways to optimize physical activity of schoolchildren. The aim of the work was to study and generalize modern approaches to optimizing physical activity of school-age children and adolescents as a component of a healthy lifestyle. Analysis of the literature data and the results of their own research showed that the level of physical activity of a significant number of schoolchildren remained low. Important approaches to its optimization are to increase children's physical activity during school and free time. Participation of school teachers in this work, increasing their competence in physical activity are important aspects in solving the problem aimed at streamlining the structure and increasing the level of physical activity of children and adolescents, educating motivation to exercise, developing skills of various forms of physical activity and self-control. Conclusions. The problem of optimizing the physical activity of children and adolescents is multifaceted, requires the attention and cooperation of specialists of different profiles and parents. The main directions of its solution include: formation of motivation to observe of mode of physical activity in children of different age groups; creation of organizational and pedagogical conditions for optimizing the physical activity of children and adolescents during school and free time; monitoring of physical activity of schoolchildren, in particular, in the context of health monitoring. An important place in solving the problem is to increase the competence in physical activity of children and adolescents of teachers of general secondary education.

Teachers’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators of the school environment for physical activity in schoolchildren: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT A qualitative study based on grounded theory was carried out to analyse the facilitators and barriers of the school environment for physical activity (PA) perceived by teachers at schools in Cuenca and Ciudad Real (Castilla La Mancha-Spain). The data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Three themes were identified, 1) facilitators and 2) barriers to PA and 3) initiatives to promote PA among school children. Facilitators were teachers’ positive attitudes, the benefits attributed to their practice, teachers’ support for the activities and being specialised in physical education, considering the school as a good place to promote physical activity, facilitating elements of the curriculum and the built environment, support from the management team and organised breaks. Barriers were teachers who fail to support activities, reasons for not doing movement activities in class, devaluation of physical education, differences of opinion among teachers on the amount of physical education to be done, hindering factors in the curriculum, the built environment and classroom organisation, and unfavourable weather conditions. Raising awareness of the importance of PA, increasing the number of physical education and psychomotor skills sessions, training teachers in the use of active methodologies and organising reduced-cost or free extracurricular activities are essential steps to promote PA among schoolchildren in the school environment. It is important that the initiatives established to promote PA not only focus on establishing programmes that aim to increase the practice of PA among schoolchildren, but also to overcome barriers in the school environment, so that greater importance is given to the school elements that facilitate PA.