Purpose: To investigate how schoolchildren use different schoolyard areas and whether these areas are associated with different types of behavior. Schoolyard characteristics seem to be related to behavior during recess, but exactly which behavior takes place where is unclear. Methods: Time spent by 316 students (grade 5-8) in 5 types of schoolyard ...
Purpose: Objective measurement of school environments is important in determining how they impact children’s physical activity. We have previously developed and tested an audit tool to assess the opportunity for physical activity in primary schools. This study aims to test the validity of the same audit tool in secondary ...
Purpose: To examine reliability and variability of objectively-measured aspects of the school physical activity environment across 247 schools in 12 countries, representing both the developed and developing world. Methods: Audits of the school physical activity and nutrition environment were conducted by trained data collectors for all schools participating in the International Study ...
Purpose: To compare the effect of traditional (stable) and non-traditional (dynamic) school furniture, designed to allow increased low amplitude movement while remaining in a seated position, on children’s physical activity (PA), energy expenditure, information retention, and math skills Methods: Participants were 12 students (8.3 yrs, 58% boys) in grades 1 - 6. Children participated ...
Background: The physical activity guidelines for Americans call for children and adolescents to participate in 60 minutes of MVPA daily. For most children, especially those with low socioeconomic status (SES), the school environment has been identified as the best suited to provide MVPA opportunities. Purpose: To examine the time spent ...
Purpose: Little is known about the characteristics of individuals who volunteer to be walking group leaders. This study compared walking group leaders to members on sociodemographic, health, attitudinal, and behavioral variables. Methods: Sumter County On The Move! (SCOTM!) is a community-based program that uses strategies for mobilizing, supporting, and reinforcing ...
Background: Low levels of physical activity (PA) at workplace have been associated with massive time spent in sedentary behavior. It is known that sedentary behavior is directly associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and risk of death from all causes. Purpose: To analyze the association of sedentary behavior and ...
Background: Accelerometers and global positioning system (GPS) units to monitor participants’ activity allow for a dynamic spatial examination of the locations where physical activity occurs. The application of spatial clustering analysis to these geographically linked physical activity data may provide a better understanding of how moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) concentrates ...
Abstract: Travel by public transit is increasingly recognised as a ‘walk interrupted’ and therefore a potential means to engage in physical activity (PA). However, little is known about how taking public transit to and from school contributes to PA in youth. Our objective was to assess moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) during ...
Background: Multicomponent school-based interventions have the potential to reduce the age-related decline in adolescents‘ physical activity (PA). Studies on the effect of school environment interventions have reported varying results. Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of a multicomponent environmental school-based intervention, designed to reduce the age-related decline in PA among adolescents. ...