The association of school environments with youth physical activity

Abstract

A B S T R A C TObjectives. This study assessed the association of school environmental characteristics with student physical activity on campus.Methods. Physical activity areas (n= 137) at 24 public middle schools were assessed for area type, size, and improvements (e.g., basketball courts). Student physical activity and the presence of equipment and supervision were directly observed before school, after lunch, and after school.Results. Environmental characteristics explained 42% of the variance in the proportion of girls who were physically active and 59% of the variance for boys.Conclusions. School environments with high levels of supervision and improvements stimulated girls and boys to be more physically active.

“Football is a boys’ game”: children’s perceptions about barriers for physical activity during recess time

“…Previous research has reported that the lack of space was perceived as a significant barrier for playing (Pawlowski et al, 2014; Ridgers, Fairclough, & Stratton, 2010; Ridgers et al, 2012), but our results showed that the conflicts caused by the use of space is perceived as a larger barrier, than the lack of it (Sallis et al, 2001). In this way, negotiation about the use of the space shapes like a mesosystem (Neal & Neal, 2013) where individual interests of schoolchildren, relationships among peers and relationships with teachers converge.…”

“…Football was the most played activity for boys and required a larger space, which means that football players would take over the main areas of the schoolyard (Blatchford et al, 2003; Boyle, Marshall, & Robeson, 2003). In both our study and other research, teachers mediated in the conflicts caused by the lack of space (Pawlowski et al, 2014; Sallis et al, 2001; Willenberg et al, 2010) and organized it around football providing equipment only for boys who played it (Sallis et al, 2001; Willenberg et al, 2010). However, this solution caused the children who did not play football—usually girls and less skilful boys—to be relegated to peripheral areas and become forced viewers of others (Blatchford et al, 2003; Boyle et al, 2003; Ridgers et al, 2012; Thomson, 2005).…”

Determinación De La Actividad Física en El Recreo Escolar: Combinando Mediciones De Actividad Física Y La Perspectiva Estudiantil

“…En este estudio se pudieron observar niveles de sedentarismo mucho más altos que los observados en previos estudios en otros entornos (Anthamatten et al, 2011;Blaes et al, 2013;McKenzie, Marshall, Sallis y Conway, 2000;Springer, Tanguturi, Ranjit, Skala y Kelder, 2013).…”

Results From Brazil’s 2016 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth

“…18 The potential influence of a favorable school context on PA has been a matter of discussion in recent years. [19][20][21] Studies conducted in Ontario (Canada); 19 Minnesota, United States of America (US); 20 and San Diego (US) 21 consistently observed the influence of the school context on MVPA for students between the 6th and 12th grade. The school is seen as the ideal environment for the incentive and intervention associated with PA, and PE classes seem to have a key role in this scenario.…”