[Increasing children's physical activity during school recess periods]

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Public Health Interventions
• Childhood Obesity

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
• Schools play a crucial role in promoting healthy lifestyles.
• Recess is an opportune time to increase children's physical activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the Recess Enhancement Program (REP) on children's vigorous physical activity.
• To determine if REP participation is associated with increased physical activity rates in elementary schools.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design comparing 15 REP schools with 10 non-REP control schools in New York City.
• Direct observation of children's activity levels (sedentary, walking, very active) during recess using 1339 scans.
• Multivariate statistical analysis to assess the association between REP participation and vigorous physical activity.

Main Results:

• REP schools demonstrated significantly higher rates of vigorous physical activity (41% vs. 27%).
• The positive effect of REP persisted even when the coach was not present, indicating a potential shift in school recess culture.
• Participation in REP was a significant predictor of increased vigorous physical activity (P = .027).

Conclusions:

• The Recess Enhancement Program significantly increased children's vigorous physical activity by 52% in participating schools.
• REP is a low-cost, effective intervention for promoting physical activity.
• The findings suggest REP is a valuable tool for combating childhood obesity and warrants wider implementation.