Children's Physical Activity Levels During School Recess
Author Information
Author(s): Ridgers Nicola D, Stratton Gareth, Fairclough Stuart J, Twisk Jos WR
Primary Institution: Liverpool John Moores University
Hypothesis
The study aims to investigate the short-term effects of a playground markings and physical structures intervention on recess physical activity.
Conclusion
The playground redesign intervention resulted in small but non-significant increases in children's recess physical activity.
Supporting Evidence
- The intervention group engaged in 5.95% more MVPA during recess than the control group.
- Boys engaged in more MVPA and VPA than girls during recess.
- The intervention effect was stronger for younger children compared to older children.
- Longer recess duration enabled children to engage in more MVPA following the intervention.
Takeaway
The study looked at how changing playgrounds can help kids be more active during recess, but it didn't make a big difference overall.
Methodology
Children wore accelerometers to measure physical activity during recess before and after the playground intervention.
Potential Biases
Potential biases related to the supervision methods and equipment availability were not monitored.
Limitations
The study did not control the amount of equipment available to children or the method of supervision during recess.
Participant Demographics
150 boys and 147 girls aged 5-10 from 26 elementary schools in a large urban city in England.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
CI: 0.14 to 11.77
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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