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After school hours activities of young Australian school children: Low levels of outdoor play and peer interaction
Thursday 1 November Papers / Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 15 (2013) S34–S126
play, respectively. Supervision during break was associated with a significantly lower proportion of learners engaged in vigorous play (P < 0.04, 24% vs 28%) and a greater number of learners eating their lunch (17% vs 11%). Finally, learner density (number of learners per area scanned) was significantly and inversely associated with physical activity. Only 17.6% of learners in low density areas were sedentary compared to 49.6% of those in high density areas; conversely 28.2% of learners engaged in vigorous play in low density areas, compared to only 13.5% in high density areas (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Physical activity during break-time in these South African primary schools was adversely affected by over-crowding and teacher supervision. The results suggest that educators were more involved in ‘crowd control’ than the promotion of physical activity during break-time, and that interventions may be targeted at the school policy environment to reduce these barriers to physical activity. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2012.11.218 216 Contribution of primary school physical education class to daily moderate-vigorous physical activity E. Murtagh 1,∗ , D. McKee 2 1
Mary Immaculate College and PEPAYS Research Centre, University of Limerick 2 Stranmillis University College Introduction: The link between regular physical activity (PA) in childhood and good health is firmly established. However the majority of children do not perform enough PA to maintain good health. There is limited data on the degree to which primary school physical education class (PE) allows children to accumulate moderate-vigorous physical activity. The purpose of the study was to assess the contribution of primary school PE to daily MVPA in 9-year old Irish children. Methods: 112 (70 F) children had their PA assessed on two school-days using a tri-axial accelerometer. On one day the children had PE, while on the other they did not. The order of the PE day and non-PE day was randomised. Accelerometer PA data was converted to minutes MVPA using the methods of Mattocks et al. (2007). Written informed consent was obtained from the parent/guardian of each child. The study was approved by the relevant institutional review board. T-tests were used to identify differences between PE and non-PE days. Results: All results are mean, 95% CI. There was a significant difference in minutes of MVPA on PE days (31.1, 29.2–33.1) compared to non-PE days (20.8, 18.9–22.8) (P < 0.05). Boys accumulated significantly more minutes MVPA than girls on PE days (33.7, 31.1–36.3, versus 29.6, 26.9–32.3) (P < 0.05) but not on non-PE days (21.9, 17.8–26.1, versus 20.2, 18.1–22.3) (P > 0.05). The difference in MVPA on PE days compared to non-PE days was greater for boys than girls (11.7, 7.0–16.4, versus 9.4, 7.0–11.8) though not significant (P > 0.05). None of the children studied fulfilled current PA recommendations of 60 minutes MVPA per day. Discussion: Participation in PE class significantly increased the amount of MVPA accumulated by the children in this sample. However the children did not undertake sufficient MVPA to meet current recommended levels for health and therefore warrant intervention. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2012.11.219
S91
217 After school hours activities of young Australian school children: Low levels of outdoor play and peer interaction L. Engelen 1,∗ , S. Wyver 2 , A. Bundy 1 , G. Naughton 3 1
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University 3 Centre of Physical Activity Across the Lifespan, Australian Catholic University 2
Introduction: This research was part of a larger study known as the Sydney Playground Project (SPP), which aims to increase physical activity and social skills in primary school children by means of a low-cost innovative playground intervention. The aim of this part of the project was to investigate what children aged 5–7 years in Sydney do after school hours. Our focus was on whether children spent time indoors or outdoors, who they were with, and the parents’ perceptions of the children’s levels of physical movement, intensity and involvement. Methods: Experience sampling method (ESM) was used to obtain the data. We asked parents/carers of 221 children, (119 boys, 102 girls; mean age 6.0 years) to keep a palm pilot close by for four week days. On those days, the palm pilot delivered three brief surveys at random times between 1530–1900. The intention of the survey was to find out ‘What your child is doing now’ and the details of these activities (full details of the protocol can be found at http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/11/680). Results: Baseline survey data relating to after school activities indicated 55% of the time was spent indoors in pastimes involving low levels of physical activity. Children were engaged in higher levels of physical activity when outdoors and/or with peers, but these respectively accounted for < 20% and < 10% of survey occasions. The major contributor to children’s pastimes was screen time (television or computer, 22%). Discussion: Our findings are considered in the context of opportunities for children to play outdoors with peers after school hours. We examine some of the pressures on parents and others to keep children safe, which may, paradoxically, lead to children engaging in sedentary pastimes with limited peer interaction, hence increasing the risk of later physical and mental health problems. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2012.11.220 218 State of the art reviews: The measurement of physical activity using mobile phones J. Bort Roig ∗ , R. Contreras Espinosa Universitat De Vic Introduction: More and more companies are designing technologies that promote healthy lifestyles. In particular, the mobile phone is becoming an increasingly important platform for the delivery of content promoting physical activity. Despite this, little research concerning physical activity assessments via mobile phones providing objective measurements has been carried out. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the methods and technology currently being used to measure physical activity patterns. Methods: The review is based on a full search of the literature identified through a search of PubMed, Web of Science, and IEEE explore between the years 2007–2012. The search was restricted to articles involving the general population containing the following keywords: mobile phone, smartphone, application and exercise
play, respectively. Supervision during break was associated with a significantly lower proportion of learners engaged in vigorous play (P < 0.04, 24% vs 28%) and a greater number of learners eating their lunch (17% vs 11%). Finally, learner density (number of learners per area scanned) was significantly and inversely associated with physical activity. Only 17.6% of learners in low density areas were sedentary compared to 49.6% of those in high density areas; conversely 28.2% of learners engaged in vigorous play in low density areas, compared to only 13.5% in high density areas (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Physical activity during break-time in these South African primary schools was adversely affected by over-crowding and teacher supervision. The results suggest that educators were more involved in ‘crowd control’ than the promotion of physical activity during break-time, and that interventions may be targeted at the school policy environment to reduce these barriers to physical activity. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2012.11.218 216 Contribution of primary school physical education class to daily moderate-vigorous physical activity E. Murtagh 1,∗ , D. McKee 2 1
Mary Immaculate College and PEPAYS Research Centre, University of Limerick 2 Stranmillis University College Introduction: The link between regular physical activity (PA) in childhood and good health is firmly established. However the majority of children do not perform enough PA to maintain good health. There is limited data on the degree to which primary school physical education class (PE) allows children to accumulate moderate-vigorous physical activity. The purpose of the study was to assess the contribution of primary school PE to daily MVPA in 9-year old Irish children. Methods: 112 (70 F) children had their PA assessed on two school-days using a tri-axial accelerometer. On one day the children had PE, while on the other they did not. The order of the PE day and non-PE day was randomised. Accelerometer PA data was converted to minutes MVPA using the methods of Mattocks et al. (2007). Written informed consent was obtained from the parent/guardian of each child. The study was approved by the relevant institutional review board. T-tests were used to identify differences between PE and non-PE days. Results: All results are mean, 95% CI. There was a significant difference in minutes of MVPA on PE days (31.1, 29.2–33.1) compared to non-PE days (20.8, 18.9–22.8) (P < 0.05). Boys accumulated significantly more minutes MVPA than girls on PE days (33.7, 31.1–36.3, versus 29.6, 26.9–32.3) (P < 0.05) but not on non-PE days (21.9, 17.8–26.1, versus 20.2, 18.1–22.3) (P > 0.05). The difference in MVPA on PE days compared to non-PE days was greater for boys than girls (11.7, 7.0–16.4, versus 9.4, 7.0–11.8) though not significant (P > 0.05). None of the children studied fulfilled current PA recommendations of 60 minutes MVPA per day. Discussion: Participation in PE class significantly increased the amount of MVPA accumulated by the children in this sample. However the children did not undertake sufficient MVPA to meet current recommended levels for health and therefore warrant intervention. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2012.11.219
S91
217 After school hours activities of young Australian school children: Low levels of outdoor play and peer interaction L. Engelen 1,∗ , S. Wyver 2 , A. Bundy 1 , G. Naughton 3 1
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University 3 Centre of Physical Activity Across the Lifespan, Australian Catholic University 2
Introduction: This research was part of a larger study known as the Sydney Playground Project (SPP), which aims to increase physical activity and social skills in primary school children by means of a low-cost innovative playground intervention. The aim of this part of the project was to investigate what children aged 5–7 years in Sydney do after school hours. Our focus was on whether children spent time indoors or outdoors, who they were with, and the parents’ perceptions of the children’s levels of physical movement, intensity and involvement. Methods: Experience sampling method (ESM) was used to obtain the data. We asked parents/carers of 221 children, (119 boys, 102 girls; mean age 6.0 years) to keep a palm pilot close by for four week days. On those days, the palm pilot delivered three brief surveys at random times between 1530–1900. The intention of the survey was to find out ‘What your child is doing now’ and the details of these activities (full details of the protocol can be found at http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/11/680). Results: Baseline survey data relating to after school activities indicated 55% of the time was spent indoors in pastimes involving low levels of physical activity. Children were engaged in higher levels of physical activity when outdoors and/or with peers, but these respectively accounted for < 20% and < 10% of survey occasions. The major contributor to children’s pastimes was screen time (television or computer, 22%). Discussion: Our findings are considered in the context of opportunities for children to play outdoors with peers after school hours. We examine some of the pressures on parents and others to keep children safe, which may, paradoxically, lead to children engaging in sedentary pastimes with limited peer interaction, hence increasing the risk of later physical and mental health problems. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2012.11.220 218 State of the art reviews: The measurement of physical activity using mobile phones J. Bort Roig ∗ , R. Contreras Espinosa Universitat De Vic Introduction: More and more companies are designing technologies that promote healthy lifestyles. In particular, the mobile phone is becoming an increasingly important platform for the delivery of content promoting physical activity. Despite this, little research concerning physical activity assessments via mobile phones providing objective measurements has been carried out. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the methods and technology currently being used to measure physical activity patterns. Methods: The review is based on a full search of the literature identified through a search of PubMed, Web of Science, and IEEE explore between the years 2007–2012. The search was restricted to articles involving the general population containing the following keywords: mobile phone, smartphone, application and exercise