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Objectively measured physical activity in urban alternative high school students
John R Sirard1, Martha Y Kubik, Jayne A Fulkerson
1Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA. sirar001@umn.edu
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|November 5, 2008
Summary
Alternative high school students have low physical activity levels, with only 5% of their time spent in moderate-to-vigorous activity. Compliance with wearing activity monitors was high, indicating potential for future research in this underserved population.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Adolescent Health
- Physical Activity Research
Background:
- Alternative high school (AHS) students are a vulnerable population with increased health risks.
- Limited data exists on the physical activity patterns of AHS students.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine physical activity levels in AHS students in St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN.
- To assess compliance with wearing physical activity accelerometers in this population.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-five AHS students (diverse demographics) wore accelerometers for 7 days.
- Accelerometer data provided counts per minute and minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).
- Compliance was measured by the number of days with at least 10 hours of accelerometer data.
Main Results:
- Students averaged 51 minutes of MVPA per day, with higher weekday activity.
- MVPA constituted approximately 5% of total wear time.
- High compliance was observed, with 95% of students providing at least 4 days of data.
Conclusions:
- AHS students exhibit low physical activity levels, highlighting a need for targeted interventions.
- High compliance suggests feasibility for further research and physical activity interventions in AHS settings.
