Children’s Voices in Physical Activity Research: A Qualitative Review and Synthesis of UK Children’s Perspectives

Abstract

Background: Physical activity during childhood is associated with multiple short- and long-term health benefits. Physical activity levels decline throughout primary school emphasising a need for effective strategies to promote more activity in children. Children have rarely been involved in the intervention development process. This gap is an important omission and there is much to be learnt from existing qualitative studies with children, which could serve as a starting point for specific projects. This systematic review aimed to synthesise qualitative studies with primary school children in the United Kingdom to identify children’s perspectives on why physical activity is important, the factors that influence their physical activity and what they like when it comes to physical activity. Methods: A search of seven databases (conducted in October 2019) identified 26 papers for inclusion. Data extraction and synthesis were conducted using qualitative thematic synthesis. The quality of papers was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist for qualitative research. Results: Across the diverse range of studies, several key themes were identified in relation to the three research questions. Children have a comprehensive understanding of the various benefits of physical activity, including benefits for health, fitness and skills development. A range of social agents and practical issues influence children’s physical activity, with friend and peer influences being particularly salient. Most children like to have choice over the activities they undertake and the opportunities for creative physical play such as making up active games. Conclusions: The findings suggest that future interventions should utilize peer relationships, ensure a variety of activities are offered to cater to a broad range of children’s physical activity preferences and incorporate child-led activities where possible. The included studies also highlight a need for more diversity in qualitative research in this area, particularly in terms of ethnicity and age, and combining traditional qualitative methods with creative methods, such as photography, may provide richer insights than when using a single mode of data collection. We also highlight several methodological challenges, and in particular, the need for greater acknowledgement of the role of the researcher in qualitative work with children.

Pupil Voices: Review of Factors Influencing Pupil Participation in Primary School Physical Activity

“…Factors in the school environment (microsystem), such as peers and teacher-pupil relationships, were found to impact pupils' involvement in school-based PA. Positive and supportive environments encouraged participation and have been highlighted in previous reviews (16,25,26). Lubans et al (26) claimed that supportive environments are shaped by the language, behavior, and expectations of both pupils and teachers and that nurturing students' psychological needs including their sense of relatedness, competence, and autonomy are critical to establishing supportive PA environments.…”

“…This is an important finding because whether children understand the benefits of PA is disputed (64). In their review, Emm-Collison et al (25) indicated that children are aware of the benefits of PA due to cultural shifts and the increased exposure of children to mass media campaigns focusing on health and PA promotion (19). This illustrates the impact of the macrosystem (social and cultural attitudes and ideologies) on pupil participation.…”

“…These reviews report that, if PA opportunities fail to meet the needs of individuals, their participation may be limited (24,25). Meaningful experiences, including social interaction, fun, challenge, motor competence, delight, and personally relevant experiences, have been identified as important factors to encourage participation in PE and PA (16,25). Similar findings were reported by Lubans et al (26) who developed the supportive, active, autonomous, fair, and enjoyable (SAAFE) framework.…”

A multi-perspective qualitative exploration of the reasons for changes in the physical activity among 10–11-year-old children following the easing of the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK in 2021

“…Appropriate outdoor and indoor space, access to equipment, and parental support have been identified as facilitators of physical activity during the pandemic and related restrictions [ 24 – 27 ], a finding echoed in a number of quantitative studies [ 13 ]. It is important to note that parental influences [ 29 , 30 ] and access to facilities [ 30 , 31 ] have been shown to influence physical activity behaviour among children prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, findings within the current study are suggestive of an increased importance during times of severe COVID-19 restrictions.…”

“…The importance of social influences in physical among children has been well documented in pre-pandemic research [ 30 , 32 , 33 ]. Loss of social connections among children during periods of lockdown and isolation and its impact on wellbeing and physical activity has emerged in recent qualitative research [ 27 , 28 ].…”