Increasing Children's Physical Activity During School Recess Periods.

• Autores: John J. Chin, David Ludwig
• Localización: American journal of public health, ISSN 0090-0036, Vol. 104, Nº. 0, 2014, págs. 208-213
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Objectives. We examined whether schools' participation in the Recess Enhancement Program (REP) in the spring of 2011 was associated with higher rates of children's vigorous physical activity. Methods. In REP, a coach guides children through age-appropriate games aimed at increasing their physical activity. During recess at 25 New York City public elementary schools (15 REP, 10 non-REP), researchers visually scanned predetermined areas (n = 1339 scans), recording the number of sedentary, walking, and very active children. Results. Multivariate statistical analysis found that participation in REP was a significant predictor (P= .027) of the rate of vigorous physical activity (percentage very active in scan area) whose least-squares means were 41% in REP schools and 27%in non-REP schools. A significantly higher rate in REP schools persisted when the coach was not in the scan area, suggesting a change in the recess culture of REP schools. Conclusions. The rate of vigorous physical activity in REP schools was 14 percentage points, or 52%, higher than the rate in non-REP schools. This low-cost intervention might be a valuable addition to the tools for combating childhood obesity and worth replicating elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]