Unstructured Activities Research Articles

Effects of a SWELE program for improving mental wellbeing in children and adolescents with special educational needs: protocol of a quasi-experimental study

BackgroundUnstructured play has also been found effective on promoting positive emotions and emotional competence among children and adolescents with special educational needs (SEN). Unstructured Outdoor Play coupled with Mindfulness-based Interventions via ‘Supporting Wellness in E-Child Learning Environments’ (SWELE) program can foster the mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents with SEN. Currently there is a lack of the unstructured play with mindfulness-based interventions in the special schools in Hong Kong. Thus, aim of the SWELE program is to examine the effects of unstructured play with mindfulness-based interventions—(SWELE) program combining unstructured outdoor play activities with mindfulness-based interventions to promote mental wellbeing among SEN children and adolescents.MethodsThis 16-week SWELE program focuses on combining unstructured outdoor play activities with mindfulness-based interventions to promote mental wellbeing among children and adolescents with SEN. Training workshops for schoolteachers, school principals, parents and student mental health ambassadors in each special school together with a 16-week SWELE program and each last 45–60 min. Unstructured play allows students the freedom to explore, create and discover without predetermined rules or guidelines. Outdoor unstructured play activities include naturally run, jump and move on a playground, riding a bike, climbing trees, playing tag, playing with blocks, colour, water play, and boxes. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design both with a quantitative measure using a single group pre- and post-tests quasi-experiment behavioural observational method to preliminarily evaluate the impact of SWELE Program on SEN children’s and adolescents’ mental wellbeing; and with a qualitative design to conduct eight focus group discussions including schoolteachers, school principals, parents, SEN students, school nurses from six selected special groups and to explore their perceptions and experiences after participated the SWELE program.DiscussionThe purpose of this protocol is to examine the effects of a 16-week SWELE program on the mood, anxiety level, social skills and playfulness behaviours among children and adolescents with SEN in the special schools in Hong Kong. From the evaluation and observation, the pre-set aim and objectives on the improvement of mental wellbeing in children and adolescents with SEN can be confirmed.Trial registrationClinicalTrial.gov, NCT06112483. Registered on 31 October 2023.

The new normal for children’s physical activity and screen viewing: a multi-perspective qualitative analysis of behaviours a year after the COVID-19 lockdowns in the UK

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted children’s physical activity. Recent evidence indicated children’s accelerometer-measured physical activity levels have, on average, returned to near pre-pandemic levels in 2022, though sedentary behaviour remains higher. However, insufficient physical activity levels among children continues to be a critical public health issue in the UK, with only 41% meeting physical activity guidelines. This study aimed to provide in-depth analysis of how the pandemic has shaped children’s physical activity patterns beyond the short-term periods following lockdowns and identify the new challenges to engaging children in physical activity. Methods One-to-one interviews with parents (n = 22), school staff (n = 9), and six focus groups with children aged 10–11 years (n = 45) were conducted between February and July 2022. Topics explored changes to children’s physical activity and sedentary behaviour patterns, including screen-viewing, and factors influencing any changes. The framework method was used for analysis. Results Five themes were generated. Theme 1 described residual lockdown habits, including increased screen-viewing within the home, while activities outside the home continued to feel less spontaneous. Theme 2 highlighted an interrupted development of social, emotional, and physical skills among children compared to what would be expected pre-pandemic. This coincided with Theme 3 which reflected increased mental health challenges among families, creating complex barriers to children’s physical activity. A new normal for child physical activity was evoked and explored in Theme 4, with greater dependence on structured and organised activities. However, Theme 5 highlighted that girls and children with lower socio-economic position may be especially at risk of decreased physical activity. Conclusions There is a new normal for children’s physical activity that is characterised by increased dependence on structured and organised physical activities, such as active clubs, and less on unstructured and spontaneous physical activities, such as physical play. While this may suit many children, girls and children from lower socio-economic households face barriers to participating in the new normal. It is important that affordable and equitable opportunities are provided to all children to prevent physical activity and health inequalities.

Physical Activities in Hong Kong Kindergartens: Grade-Level Differences and Venue Utilization

ABSTRACT This study aimed to (1) investigate the provision of physical activities in Hong Kong kindergartens across different grade levels and (2) examine the availability and utilization of venues in or near kindergartens for physical activities. We surveyed 526 hong Kong kindergarten teachers. Descriptive statistics and parametric statistical techniques (e.g. one-way ANOVA) were employed. Participants across all three grade levels reported implementing physical activities relatively infrequently (M = 2.47), with higher provision of unstructured physical activities involving low degrees of physical exertion and risk. However, K3 teachers (M = 2.55, SD = .45) were found to provide more physical activities than K1 teachers (M = 2.43, SD = .47, p = .033) and K2 teachers (M = 2.42, SD = .42, p = .030). Indoor venues were more commonly reported in or near kindergartens and were more frequently utilized for physical activities. In contrast, the availability and utilization of outdoor venues were limited. The results highlight the distance between internationally accepted physical activity guidelines and actual practices in Hong Kong kindergartens. We conclude that the limited opportunities for physical activities may not be enough for children to develop themselves optimally. Offering longer kindergarten programs and a wider range of easily accessible venues for physical activities would be vital to improving this situation.

Towards home-school partnership: parents’ perspectives on school-based parent activities in childcare centres in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Childcare centres are increasingly recognised as educational institutions, and the current study examined parent’s perspectives on school-based parent activities provided by childcare centres. Through surveying 266 parents, we found that both structured activities (e.g., training workshops) and unstructured activities (e.g., parent-child tours) could meet parents’ needs. Activities that benefited parents practically and allowed them to cope with work and family demands were more attractive. How to deal with children’s emotions was the most needed topic. Finally, parents’ interest and participation varied depending on demographics and their children’s in-care history. Practical implications for centre supervisors, policymakers and parents are discussed.

Structured-unstructured activity behaviours on preschoolers’ mental and physical health: a compositional and isotemporal reallocation analysis

This study analysed the relationship between the structured and unstructured activities of preschoolers and their mental and physical health, and also investigated the predicted changes in mental and physical health by reallocating activity time. This cross-sectional study was carried out with 324 preschoolers. Video recording and SOPARC activity observation system was used for the division of structured and unstructured activities. An accelerometer sensor was used to measure activity intensity. The SDQ psychological questionnaire was adopted to collect data on internalizing difficulties, externalizing difficulties, total difficulties and pro-social behaviours. Physical indices including body shape (height, weight, BMI), and physical fitness (upper and lower limb strength, flexibility, agility, and balance) were collected using Chinese toddler physical fitness measurement tools. Component data and isotemporal reallocation analyses were conducted using R Studio (Version 4.2). A total of 308 preschoolers (160 boys; aged 4.50 ± 0.93 years) were included in the data analysis. The activities composition, adjusted for sex, area, mental level (for mental indicators), or age (for physical indicators), was significantly correlated with various measurement indicators (p < 0.05). Specifically, structured (β=-0.87, p < 0.05) and unstructured (β=-1.24, p < 0.05) moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were significantly positive correlated with internalizing difficulties, while structured MVPA was significantly positively correlated with body shape (β = 2.17, p < 0.05). Replacing structured light physical activity (LPA) with 10 min of structured MVPA has a positive effect on internalizing difficulties (SMD=-1.28, 95%CI: -2.30 to -0.27) and body shape (SMD = 1.76, 95%CI: 0.37 to 3.15). When the total replacement time reaches 25 min, the benefits become even more pronounced. Structured and unstructured MVPA are both beneficial to preschoolers’ mental and physical health, with the incorporation of MVPA for over 25 min in structured activities and supplementary unstructured MVPA yielding even greater benefits.

Early Socio-Emotional Difficulty as a Childhood Barrier to the Expected Benefits of Active Play: Associated Risks for School Engagement in Adolescence.

Active play allows children to develop social and cognitive skills, which could lead to higher school engagement. Little is known about the role of child socioemotional difficulty in these associations. This study aims to examine the interaction between active play and socioemotional difficulty in childhood and their prospective association with academic engagement in adolescence. The participants were 4537 children (51.1% boys) who were longitudinally followed, between ages 6 and 14 years, from the National Longitudinal Study on Children and Youth (NLSCY), Canada. Active play (weekly organized sport and unstructured physical activity outside of school hours) and child behavior (hyperactivity, anxiety, and relational difficulties) were reported by mothers for their children at age 6 years. Academic engagement was self-reported at age 14 years. Unstructured physical activity predicted lower subsequent school engagement for boys (β = -0.057, p < 0.05). Boys with high anxiety symptoms and high relational aggression who participated in more unstructured physical activity in childhood were subsequently less engaged in school (respectively, β = -0.066, p < 0.05 and β = -0.062, p < 0.05). Girls who partook in more organized sports showed lower school engagement in adolescence when they had high anxiety symptoms (β = -0.067, p < 0.05). Although past studies have highlighted the contribution of active play to school engagement, certain socioemotional difficulties could impede the child's ability to reap its benefits.

The Role of Grandparents in Facilitating Children's Physical Activity.

Research suggests there is considerable opportunity to improve children's movement behaviors while they are being cared for by their grandparents. An understanding of the extent to which grandparent practices facilitate children's engagement in physical activity is critical to the development of health interventions targeting grandparent caregivers. This study examined the activity-related beliefs and practices of grandparents and their association with grandchildren's engagement in various movement behaviors while in grandparental care. Australian grandparents (N = 1190; 60% women) who provided regular care to a grandchild aged 3-14years were recruited via a web panel provider to complete an online survey. The survey assessed grandparents' physical activity-related beliefs (eg,perceived importance) and practices (eg,support and social control) and their grandchildren's engagement in physical activity (unstructured, structured, and outdoor play) and screen-based activities while in grandparental care. The importance of grandchildren's physical activity was rated highly by grandparents. Grandparents' support for their grandchildren's physical activity was positively associated with their grandchildren's engagement in structured physical activity, unstructured physical activity, and outdoor play. Negative social control was associated with greater engagement in screen-based activities. Other correlates of grandchildren's physical activity and screen-based activities included grandparents' own engagement in these activities. Findings highlight the importance of reinforcing the beliefs and practices that positively influence children's movement behaviors and addressing those that have unintended consequences. Encouraging grandparents to support their grandchildren's physical activity and discouraging forms of negative social control are likely to be important in efforts to promote physical activity in children.

Navigating the ecosystem of summertime activity choices for youth: a multiple case study analysis

ABSTRACT Summer in the United States is a complicated time for youth and families. While youth are free from the strictures of school and ripe with opportunities for personal growth, cobbling together summer experiences for them can be challenging, especially for low-income families. Currently, there is little research on summer as a developmental time and space and how parents and families decide to shape summer for their children. To address this gap in the literature, this study used a multiple case study approach, focusing on six families with different socioeconomic and racial backgrounds to understand the roles that structured and unstructured activities fill in their families’ summers. Using Bronfenbrenner’s process-person-context-time model, the authors explore how summer choices are shaped by a) parental attitudes, beliefs, values and experiences, b) child interests, needs, and opportunities for development of autonomy and independence, and c) other contextual factors such as logistic and cost constraints.

Active Child, Accomplished Youth: Middle Childhood Active Leisure Fuels Academic Success by Emerging Adulthood.

Background/Objectives: Physical activity is an important protective factor throughout life. However, little research has observed the associations between the practice of physical activity and academic success longitudinally, and none have done so with a pan-Canadian sample. This article aims to examine the prospective associations between active leisure in middle childhood and academic achievement in emerging adulthood, for both boys and girls, beyond several family factors. Methods: Participants are 2775 children from the National Longitudinal Study on Children and Youth (NLSCY) aged between 12 and 20 years. Active leisure was self-reported by children at age 12 years regarding their weekly organized sport, artistic sport, and unstructured physical activity participation outside of school hours. Academic success was measured by self-reported school average at age 18 years and the obtention of high school diploma at age 20 years. Results: Girls who engaged in more organized or artistic sports at age 12 years had better academic results at age 18 years (respectively β = -0.082, p < 0.01; β = -0.228, p < 0.001). Both boys and girls who partook in more organized sports at age 12 years were more likely to graduate from high school by age 20 years (respectively β = -0.146, p < 0.001; β = -0.071, p < 0.05). However, girls who engaged in more unstructured physical activity at age 12 years had lower academic achievement at age 18 years (β = 0.077, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Policy makers should aim to reduce the many barriers to an active lifestyle in childhood. Parents should be encouraged to lead their children to go play outside with friends to allow them to fully reap the benefits of an active lifestyle from a young age.

Investigating the Impact of Learning Modality Shifts on K-12 Students’ Physical Activity Participation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic created many challenges for K-12 schools during the 2020-2021 school year (e.g., establishing social dis-tancing measures, decisions regarding testing protocols, and transition from in-person to distance learning). Changes in teaching and learning modalities, from in-person to remote learning options, quickly became a reality for many students [an estimated 95%, according to Engzell et al. (2021)]. With an increase in distance learning came changes in stu-dents’ structured and unstructured physical activity participation. The impact of these changes is unknown and justifies research investigating the effect modality shifts held on students’ participation in physical activity and any associated outcomes. A mixed-methods survey was administered to examine changes in K-12 students’ learning modality, 521Chiara et al.participation in physical activity, and associated outcomes. Changes in learning modality from in-person to online were most frequently in-dicated (90%). Respondents stated both challenges and success stories associated with students’ participation in physical activities resulting from modality shifts (e.g., decreased social engagements, decreased ex-posure to structured and facilitated physical education, and increased outdoor play). Positive outcomes were most prevalent in children engaging in moderate PA. However, 85% of respondents indicated a decrease in their child’s physical activity participation. Our findings justify further investigation of the immediate and long-term impact of school modality shifts on students’ engagement in physical activities.

Exploring the Experience of Community Participation Among Individuals With Serious Mental Illness.

People with serious mental illness (SMI) encounter restrictions in the quantity of their community participation. Less is known about the quality of their participation. We aimed to explore the relationship between symptoms of SMI and the daily experience (i.e., loneliness and enjoyment) of community participation. We examined daily community participation among people with SMI using ecological momentary assessment surveys. We built multilevel models to examine the associations between symptoms of SMI and loneliness or enjoyment during community participation. Our analysis included 183 people among four participant groups: bipolar disorder (n = 44), major depressive disorder (n = 46), schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder (n = 40), and control (n = 53). People with schizophrenia engaged in more unstructured activities (e.g., socializing) than people among other groups. Symptom association varied across diagnostic groups. To support tailored intervention development, researchers and practitioners should consider the context of participation and the clinical characteristics of the client.

A Touch of Companionship

Dance activities are promoted with a range of benefits in institutional settings for people living with dementia (PLWD) and necessitate the active involvement of companions for engagement. This ethnomethodological study uses multimodal conversation analysis to explore how the role of the companion emerges to engage PLWD in dance activities, with special attention on different uses of touch to support engagement in embodied interactions. Analyses of video recordings focus on interactions between companions and PLWD in both structured and unstructured dance activities in institutional settings in Canada, Finland, and the UK. We demonstrate how companions use touch and other multimodal resources to engage participants with others in dance activities. We argue that the role of the companion emerges in interaction and can shift from participant to participant, including PLWD. We conclude with discussion and recommendations for supporting the engagement of PLWD with sensitivity to how actions obligate responses.

1835-LB: Understanding Hypoglycemia Risk in Unstructured Real-World Physical Activities in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

1835-LB: Understanding Hypoglycemia Risk in Unstructured Real-World Physical Activities in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

Nature connection in adulthood: The role of childhood nature experiences

Abstract Nature connection describes our relationship with the rest of the natural world. Promoting nature connection in children and adults has been identified as a worthwhile focus for education and public health, given the positive associations between nature connection, well‐being and pro‐environmental behaviours. Prior research has looked at activities that promote an individual's connection to nature, reporting that a variety of interventions can be effective. Particular emphasis has been placed on positive childhood nature experiences due to their effects on adult nature connection. Research from varied places such as New Zealand, Australia, the USA and Brazil suggest that an individual's childhood nature experiences can play a positive role in their adult connection to nature. This paper is the first of its kind to explore the associations between childhood nature activities, both their type and frequency, and adult nature connection in a Greek sample (n = 401). We gathered the perspectives of Greek‐speaking adults using quantitative measures in an online survey. Our results suggest that, in line with previous research, childhood nature experiences were significantly and positively correlated with adult nature connectedness. However, contrary to previous research, analysis suggested that adult nature experiences did not mediate the relationship between childhood nature experience and adult nature connection. Age was positively correlated with less structured childhood nature experiences such that older adults were more likely to have participated in unstructured outdoor activities like flower picking and general alone time outside during childhood. Capturing retrospective self‐reports on the frequency and type of childhood nature experiences in this Greek sample helps us understand how these experiences may predict engagement and relationships with nature in adulthood. In turn, these findings inform context‐specific recommendations for encouraging nature contact in childhood. For instance, this may have implications for nature‐based learning in Greece as well as the provision of urban green and blue spaces. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Коментар щодо популяризації фізичної активності серед дітей та молоді

Topicality. Multiple studies have confirmed the significance of physical activity for the health of children and adolescents. However, in the majority of young individuals, their level of physical activity is insufficient. The aim of this article is to draw on the extensive experience of the Children’s Physical Activity Research Group (CPARG) team to develop a set of recommendations on promoting physical activity in children and youth. Methods of the research. The CPARG has applied public health research methods to the study of physical activity, that could be used to promote children’s physical activity at the population level. Results of the work and the key conclusions. A conceptual model for a set of recommendations regarding physical activity for children and youth has been developed, based on research and experience from CPARG, and divided into five categories. Two recommendations focus on persuading, prompting, and praising children and youth for engaging in physical activity at the individual and societal levels. Two recommendations emphasize the importance of providing places where children can engage in safe structured (programs), unstructured (play), and transportation physical activity, and one additional recommendation in the play, programs, participation &amp; pleasure category stresses the importance of structuring these opportunities to facilitate fun, engagement, and enjoyment for children of all ages and abilities. Two recommendations address the need for enacting and enforcing practices and policies to promote physical activity at the local to national levels. Finally, three recommendations build toward the goal of engaging in behaviors at the individual to societal levels to convey physical activity as the normative pattern, communicating that physical activity is what we do.

EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION IN CARDIOVASCULAR PREVENTION: PRELIMINARY DATA OF A FIVE YEARS ACTIVITY OF SPORTS MEDICINE UNIT –ULSS 2 TREVISO

Abstract Physical exercise plays a pivotal role in primary and secondary prevention of non–communicable chronic diseases. Nonetheless, to date, exercise prescription to chronically ill subjects is not yet in line with guidelines indications. In Veneto region, the goal of reducing the gap between guidelines and their actual application has been pursued for several years thanks to a regional “model”of exercise prescription in chronic disease. However, regional data indicative of the real clinical impact of this "model" are lacking. We evaluated the impact of the regional model on a population of chronically ill people visited at our Clinic between 2014 and 2019. In this period, 366 subjects living in the province of Treviso (Veneto region, Italy) with a history of heart disease and/or diabetes have been admitted to our facility and have been provided with precise indications (in the form of prescription) about physical exercise to be practiced in secondary prevention. For each subject, adherence to the exercise prescription was assessed. The study population was therefore divided into 3 classes of activity in accordance with the physical activity practiced during the observation period: 0=not adherent at all at the exercise prescription (no exercise practice phase); 1= practice of unstructured physical activity/ not monitored physical exercise and/or not completely adhering to the exercise prescription in terms of intensity, duration and frequency; 2= practice of structured and monitored physical exercise, completely adherent to exercise prescription provided. By this way, any temporary suspension and subsequent resumption of the activity was considered and the period of cessation of the activity during the monitoring period was taken into account for each subject. Data on “health expenditure”, was collected for each subject at time zero as new hospitalizations and deaths were analyzed following our intervention (exercise prescription letter delivery). According to a preliminary analysis of our data, time spent in practicing exercise in class 1 and 2 lead to a significant improvement in survival and less hospitalizations for considered pathologies. Furthermore, time spent in class 2 exercise practice (structured and monitored physical exercise, at target for intensity, duration and frequency), seems to determine even greater protection compared to unstructured physical activity or structured but not monitored and/or non–targeted physical exercise (class 1).

Kant’s Fantasy

Abstract Throughout his lectures and published writings on anthropology, Kant describes a form of unintentional, unstructured, obscure, and pleasurable imaginative mental activity, which he calls fantasy (Phantasie), where we ‘take pleasure in letting our mind wander about in obscurity’ (LA 25:480). In the context of his pragmatic anthropology, Kant is concerned not only to describe this form of mental activity as a fact of human psychology, but more importantly, to criticize and discourage it. But must we share Kant’s negative evaluation? Could fantasy play a positive role in some kinds of experience? In this paper I first reconstruct Kant’s conception of fantasy, and then consider what role fantasy might play in aesthetic experience. Precisely because of his anxieties about fantasy, Kant is careful to distinguish between the lawless freedom of the imagination in fantasy and the ‘free lawfulness’ of the imagination in aesthetic judgment. Departing from Kant, and with help from Susan Sontag, I argue that certain aesthetic objects, especially certain works of modernist art, positively invite fantasy, making fantasy part of proper aesthetic appreciation. I conclude by suggesting that while fantasy can indeed play a positive role in aesthetic appreciation, there is still reason to regard fantasy as ‘normatively ambiguous’.

Online Classification of Unstructured Free-Living Exercise Sessions in People with Type 1 Diabetes.

Background: Managing exercise in type 1 diabetes is challenging, in part, because different types of exercises can have diverging effects on glycemia. The aim of this work was to develop a classification model that can classify an exercise event (structured or unstructured) as aerobic, interval, or resistance for the purpose of incorporation into an automated insulin delivery (AID) system. Methods: A long short-term memory network model was developed with real-world data from 30-min structured sessions of at-home exercise (aerobic, resistance, or mixed) using triaxial accelerometer, heart rate, and activity duration information. The detection algorithm was used to classify 15 common free-living and unstructured activities and relate each to exercise-associated change in glucose. Results: A total of 1610 structured exercise sessions were used to train, validate, and test the model. The accuracy for the structured exercise sessions in the testing set was 72% for aerobic, 65% for interval, and 77% for resistance. In addition, we tested the classifier on 3328 unstructured sessions. We validated the session-associated change in glucose against the expected change during exercise for each type. Mean and standard deviation of the change in glucose of -20.8 (40.3) mg/dL were achieved for sessions classified as aerobic, -16.2 (39.0) mg/dL for sessions classified as interval, and -11.6 (38.8) mg/dL for sessions classified as resistance. Conclusions: The proposed algorithm reliably identified physical activity associated with expected change in glucose, which could be integrated into an AID system to manage the exercise disturbance in glycemia according to the predicted class.

Out-of-school time use in Pakistan: A qualitative study featuring youth's voices.

The current study addresses the lack of out-of-school time (OST) research in low- and middle-income countries by exploring OST use in the context of Pakistan and incorporating youth's voices. Using a qualitative descriptive design with focus-group discussions, we conducted a study in three middle schools set in low- to middle-income neighborhoods in urban and rural areas of Karachi, Pakistan. We engaged 86 youth (50% girls; aged 10-15 years) that were purposefully selected from grade six (31.4%), seven (44.2%) and eight (24.4%) classrooms, balancing gender and locality. In each focus group, we asked participants to describe their afterschool activity routine on a typical weekday afternoon until bedtime. Digital recordings of discussions were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using content analysis. Based on sixteen focus groups with five to six participants in each group, we identified eight distinct categories: religious activities, schoolwork, screentime, helping adult family members, family time, outdoor play, indoor leisure activities, and hanging out with friends. We found that structured activities (e.g., religious activities and schoolwork supervised by an adult) were reported more frequently than unstructured activities (e.g., outdoor play and family time). Participation in activities varied by gender and location (i.e., urban vs. rural), highlighting disparities associated with the sociocultural context that marginalized youth face. Our findings provide a glimpse into the everyday lives of Pakistani youth outside of school. Additionally, they elucidate how economic resources, sociocultural norms regarding gender, and community safety shape youth's time use and socialization patterns. Findings from this study can inform the development of OST activities and initiatives aimed at promoting the positive development of Pakistani youth.

Longitudinal effects of dog ownership, dog acquisition, and dog loss on children’s movement behaviours: findings from the PLAYCE cohort study

IntroductionRegular physical activity is important for children’s physical and mental health, yet many children do not achieve recommended amounts of physical activity. Dog ownership has been associated with increased physical activity in children, however, there have been no longitudinal studies examining this relationship. This study used data from the Play Spaces and Environments for Children’s Physical Activity (PLAYCE) cohort study to examine the longitudinal effects of dog ownership status on children’s movement behaviours.MethodsChange in dog ownership from preschool (wave 1, age 2–5) to fulltime school (wave 2, age 5–7) was used as a natural experiment with four distinct dog ownership groups: continuing non-dog owners (n = 307), continuing dog owners (n = 204), dog acquired (n = 58), and dog loss (n = 31; total n = 600). Daily movement behaviours, including physical activity, sedentary time, sleep, and screen time, were measured using accelerometry and parent-report surveys. Differences between groups over time and by sex were tested using linear mixed effects regression models.ResultsGirls who acquired a dog increased their light intensity activities and games by 52.0 min/day (95%CI 7.9, 96.0) and girls who lost a dog decreased their light intensity activities and games by 62.1 min/day (95%CI -119.3, -4.9) compared to no change among non-dog owners. Girls and boys who acquired a dog increased their unstructured physical activity by 6.8 (95%CI 3.2, 10.3) and 7.1 (95%CI 3.9, 10.3) occasions/week, compared to no changes among non-dog owners. Girls and boys who lost a dog reduced their unstructured physical activity by 10.2 (95%CI -15.0, -5.3) and 7.7 (95%CI -12.0, -3.5) occasions/week. Girls who lost a dog decreased their total physical activity by 46.3 min/day (95%CI -107.5, 14.8) compared to no change among non-dog owners. Continuing dog ownership was typically not associated with movement behaviours. Dog ownership group was not associated with changes in sleep and had mixed associations with screen time.ConclusionThe positive influence of dog ownership on children’s physical activity begins in early childhood and differs by child sex. Further research should examine the specific contributions dog-facilitated physical activity makes to children’s overall physical activity, including the intensity and duration of dog walking and play.