Physical activity for children in special school environment

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Special Education
• Environmental Health

Background:

• Children with disabilities often exhibit lower physical activity (PA) levels.
• Understanding environmental influences on PA in special schools is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess physical activity (PA) in structured and unstructured settings among children with disabilities in special schools.
• To examine the association between modifiable contextual characteristics of the school environment and children's PA.
• To identify strategies for enhancing PA in special school settings.

Main Methods:

• Physical activity (PA) was assessed in structured (physical education) and unstructured (recess, lunch, before/after school) periods.
• Contextual characteristics of school areas, including accessibility, supervision, and organized activities, were evaluated.
• The impact of an interactive game during free play on group PA was analyzed.

Main Results:

• Children with disabilities showed lower overall PA, with higher activity during recess and lunch compared to physical education.
• Areas were frequently inaccessible during unstructured times, and children were more active when supervision and organized activities were present.
• Interactive games during free play did not significantly increase group PA.

Conclusions:

• Contextual characteristics of the school environment significantly influence children's PA accrual.
• Enhancing PA requires making school areas more accessible and utilizing social marketing and programming.
• School and health professionals should prioritize modifying contextual factors, including supervision and organized activities during free play.