The effect of a classroom activity break on physical activity levels and adiposity in primary school children.

AIM: Despite recognition that regular physical activity is essential for good health, many children do not accumulate sufficient daily physical activity. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a classroom-based activity break on accelerometer-determined moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) and adiposity in primary school children. METHODS: One hundred twenty children from seven primary schools in Northern Ireland participated in the study. In each school, one class of children was randomly assigned to an intervention group and another class to a control group. Teachers of the intervention classes led a 5-min activity break three times per day for 12 weeks. Accelerometer-determined MVPA, height, weight and four skinfolds were measured at baseline and post-intervention. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the intervention group significantly increased weekday MVPA (+9.5 min) from baseline to post-intervention. There were no significant changes in BMI; however, an increase in sum-of-skinfolds of the intervention group was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Classroom-based activity breaks led by the teacher are successful in increasing children's physical activity levels. The programme shows a positive step in improving overall physical activity levels and contributing to the goal of 60 min daily MVPA.

Seasonal and annual variation in young children's physical activity.

INTRODUCTION: It is well established that regular physical activity (PA) contributes to lower levels of morbidity and mortality. However, little is known about the stability of very young children's PA habits across seasons and years. The aims of this study were to 1) examine the influence of season and increasing age on objectively assessed PA in preschool children and 2) examine the stability of young children's PA rankings during 1 yr. METHODS: The PA levels of preschool (3- and 4-yr-old) children were measured, using 6-d pedometer step counts, during winter and spring (n = 85, 52 boys). PA levels were measured again 1 yr after the spring data collection when the children had entered primary school (n = 37, 22 boys). Parents completed questionnaires to assess attitudes toward PA, PA habits, and demographic information in the winter of the first year and the spring of the second year. RESULTS: Young children take approximately 2000 (20%) fewer steps per day in winter than in spring with a rank order stability between the two measures of r = 0.04 (P < 0.01). A modest degree of the observed intrachild or seasonal variation was related to the amount of time fathers played with their children (P < 0.05) and the availability of a safe place for children to play (P < 0.05). Children took approximately 2300 (20%) more steps per day at age 5 compared with age 4 (P < 0.01). The rank order stability of young children's PA during this period was low with correlations ranging from 0.01 to 0.15. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that a one-off assessment of PA is unlikely to be representative of a young child's activity during 1 yr and that PA tracks poorly from age 4 to 5.