Preliminary evidence for school-based physical activity policy needs in Washington, DC (original) (raw)
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Habitual physical activity patterns of inner-city children
Human Movement, 2013
Purpose. Understanding the physical activity patterns of youth is an essential step in addressing the obesity epidemic and, ultimately, developing programs that reverse this trend. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the habitual physical activity patterns of Hispanic and African-American children living in a northeastern USA urban environment. Methods. Participants included 39 inner-city children (10.5 ± 0.61 years old; 78% African American, 14% Hispanic; 85% free/reduced lunch; 20.3 ± 4.3 BMI with 45% overweight/obese). Children wore a pedometer for seven consecutive days. Means and standard deviations were calculated and Student's t test was utilized to examine difference across gender and day of the week. Results. Children averaged 9535 ± 2594 steps/day. The weekday step count mean was 10090 ± 2939 and the weekend step count was 7557 ± 4337, = 2533. Students were significantly more active during the week; t(16) = 2.38, p = 0.03. Children averaged 10610 ± 2842 steps on physical education weekdays and 8338 ± 2802 steps on non-physical education weekdays. Children were significantly more active on days with physical education classes; t(30) = 4.7, p = 0.00, = 2272. Conclusions. Very few children in the current sample met daily step recommendations. Our results support previous research that suggests that the 'suburban built' environment is more conducive to promoting physical activity than the inner city. Our sample was less active than those in the majority of other studies exploring physical activity in primary school-aged children. Our findings (compared with previous research) found reduced physical activity among African-American children, especially girls.
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2011
Background Children who participate in regular physical activity obtain health benefits. Preliminary pedometer-based cut-points representing sufficient levels of physical activity among youth have been established; however limited evidence regarding correlates of achieving these cut-points exists. The purpose of this study was to identify correlates of pedometer-based cut-points among elementary school-aged children. Method A cross-section of children in grades 5-7 (10-12 years of age) were randomly selected from the most (n = 13) and least (n = 12) 'walkable' public elementary schools (Perth, Western Australia), stratified by socioeconomic status. Children (n = 1480; response rate = 56.6%) and parents (n = 1332; response rate = 88.8%) completed a survey, and steps were collected from children using pedometers. Pedometer data were categorized to reflect the sex-specific pedometer-based cut-points of ≥15000 steps/day for boys and ≥12000 steps/day for girls. Associations between socio-demographic characteristics, sedentary and active leisure-time behavior, independent mobility, active transportation and built environmental variables - collected from the child and parent surveys - and meeting pedometer-based cut-points were estimated (odds ratios: OR) using generalized estimating equations. Results Overall 927 children participated in all components of the study and provided complete data. On average, children took 11407 ± 3136 steps/day (boys: 12270 ± 3350 vs. girls: 10681 ± 2745 steps/day; p After adjusting for all other variables and school clustering, meeting the pedometer-based cut-points was negatively associated (p Conclusions Comprehensive multi-level interventions that reduce screen-time, encourage active travel to/from school and foster a physically active classroom culture might encourage more physical activity among children.
Children's Step Counts on Weekend, Physical Education, and Non-Physical Education Days
Journal of Human Kinetics, 2011
prevalence of a hypokinetic disease over the past 20 years. Thus understanding the physical activity patterns of children is essential for developing effective interventions. Little evidence exists that illustrates the contribution of weekend, physical education, and non-physical education days to overall physical activity patterns of children. The purpose of the study was to examine differences in pedometer-determined physical activity patterns of fourth and fifth grade children during weekend, physical education and non-physical education days. Three hundred and sixty-three children (8-11 years old) from six Southwestern USA elementary schools participated by wearing pedometers for seven consecutive days. Children recorded their steps at arrival to school and when they woke up and went to bed on weekend days. During weekdays, the fourth and fifth grade children averaged 13,196 ± 3,334 and 11,295 ± 3,168 steps/day for boys and girls, respectively. This is compared to a weekend average of 7,660 ± 4,647steps/day (boys) and 7,317 ± 4,062 steps/day (girls). Children were significantly more active on physical education days, averaging 12,979 steps/day (14,197 ± 4,697 steps/day for boys and 12,058 ± 3,772 steps/day for girls),compared to non-physical education school days, when they accumulated 11,809 steps/day (12,788 ± 3,600 steps/day for boys and 11,047 ± 3,382 steps/day for girls). Based on the findings in this study, children and youth are more active during school days than on weekend days. Furthermore, children are more active on physical education days than non-physical education days. These findings suggest that increased physical activity programming and interventions during weekend days may be needed to increase physical activity. The expansion of school-based physical education across more school days may also serve to increase children's physical activity during the school week.
Effect of a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program on School Day Step Counts in Children
Journal of physical activity & health, 2015
Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programming (CSPAP) has the potential to increase physical activity (PA) in children over time. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of CSPAP on school day step counts in children. Participants were 327 fourth and fifth grade children recruited from four elementary schools. The study was conducted within an Interrupted Time-Series Design framework. School day step counts were collected for five days across pre-intervention and post-intervention time-points (10 days total) using NL-1000 piezoelectric pedometers. Robust piecewise regression examined pre- and post-intervention intercepts and slopes, and the change in these parameters using post-estimation statistics. The slope coefficient was statistically significant across pre-intervention (β = -105.23, P < 0.001) but not post-intervention time-points (β = -63.23, P = 0.347), suggesting decreases in steps counts across pre-intervention and stability of step counts across post-i...
Pedometer-determined segmented physical activity patterns of fourth-and fifth-grade children
Journal of physical …, 2011
The need to understand where and how much physical activity (PA) children accumulate has become important in assisting the development, implementation, and evaluation of PA interventions. The purpose of this study was to describe the daily PA patterns of children during the segmented school-week. Methods: 829 children participated by wearing pedometers (Yamax-Digiwalker SW-200) for 5 consecutive days. Students recorded their steps at arrival/departure from school, Physical Education (PE), recess, and lunchtime. Results: Boys took significantly more steps/day than girls during most PA opportunities; recess, t(440) = 8.80, P < .01; lunch, t(811) = 14.57, P < .01; outside of school, t(763) = 5.34, P < .01; school, t(811) = 10.61, P < .01; and total day, t(782) = 7.69, P < .01. Boys and girls accumulated a similar number of steps t(711) = 1.69, P = .09 during PE. For boys, lunchtime represented the largest single source of PA (13.4%) at school, followed by PE (12.7%) and recess (9.5%). For girls, PE was the largest (14.3%), followed by lunchtime (11.7%) and recess (8.3%). Conclusion: An understanding of the contributions of the in-school segments can serve as baseline measures for practitioners and researchers to use in school-based PA interventions.
Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 2014
The impact of Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAPs) on urban children's, educators', and parents' physical activity (PA) is relatively unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore overall changes in student, educator, and parent PA after an 8-month CSPAP-based program. This longitudinal, exploratory study implemented a CSPAP in 20 urban elementary schools, with six randomized for research. In-school PA was measured prepost for all fourth grade students using accelerometers. Parent and educator PA was self-reported using the IPAQ. RM-ANOVAs revealed significant prepost increases in minutes of student MVPA (P < .001). Parents significantly increased PA (P < .01) and although educators' reported change in PA, it was not statistically significant (P = .50). This study provides unique information about the potential influence of one CSPAP on students' overall PA, PA by individual context within the school, the differential PA patterns by race, and PA changes for educators and parents.
Journal of School Health, 2020
BACKGROUND: In this study, we examined moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of children in a school district serving children from low-income and minority households. METHODS: This observational study was conducted in 8 rural elementary schools in South Carolina. Children (N = 719, age = 7.7 years, 48.0% girls, 88.0% African American) wore accelerometers during school hours. Physical activity was distilled into time engaged in MVPA during 4 distinct opportunities. These 4 opportunities were non-activity time (eg, class-time), extended lunch (lunch recess after eating), physical education (PE), and recess. Mixed effects linear regressions estimated MVPA on days that had no activity opportunities, extended lunch, recess, PE, and multiple activity opportunities (eg, PE and recess).
Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2008
Background: Few studies have examined high school students' physical activity habits using objective measures. The purpose of this study was to describe pedometer-determined habitual physical activity levels of youth. Methods: 236 high school students (age 12-18 years) wore sealed pedometers for 5 consecutive days. Data were analyzed using generalizing estimating equations. Results: Mean steps/d (± SE) differed significantly by sex (males, 10,849 ± 381; females, 9652 ± 289), age (junior students [years 9-11], 11,079 ± 330; senior students [years 12 and 13], 9422 ± 334), time of week (weekday, 12,259 ± 287; weekend day, 8241 ± 329), and mode of transportation to and from school (walkers, 13,308 ± 483; car transit users, 10,986 ± 435). Only 14.5% of students achieved at least 10,000 steps on every day during the monitoring period. Conclusion: Daily step counts differed substantially by age, sex, time of week, and transportation mode to school.