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Wasting Our Time? Allocated Versus Accumulated Physical Activity in Afterschool Programs
Keith Brazendale1, Michael William Beets, Robert Glenn Weaver
1Dept of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
Insights
Afterschool programs should offer at least 60 minutes of physical activity (PA) daily to maximize moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in children. More time does not significantly increase MVPA, but 60 minutes is key for meeting recommendations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Exercise Science
- Public Health Interventions
Background:
- Afterschool programs (ASPs) offer opportunities for children to engage in physical activity (PA).
- The optimal duration of daily PA within ASPs to meet public health recommendations is not well-established.
- Understanding PA accumulation in children within ASPs is crucial for public health guidelines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the association between allocated time for PA in ASPs and children's accumulated moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).
- To identify the minimum daily PA allocation in ASPs that maximizes MVPA in children.
- To assess the proportion of children meeting PA recommendations through ASP participation.
Main Methods:
- 1248 children (5-12 years) from 20 ASPs wore accelerometers for up to 4 weekdays.
- Data collected during spring 2013 (February-April).
- Daily schedules of ASPs were analyzed to determine allocated PA time.
Main Results:
- ASPs allocating ≥ 60 minutes daily for PA yielded higher MVPA levels (24.8-25.1 min/day for boys, 17.1-19.4 min/day for girls) compared to those allocating ≤ 45 minutes.
- No significant differences in MVPA were observed among ASPs allocating 60, 75, or ≥105 minutes of PA daily.
- Overall, 26% of children (31% boys, 14% girls) met the recommended 30 minutes of daily MVPA.
Conclusions:
- Allocating more than 60 minutes of daily PA opportunities in ASPs does not lead to increased MVPA accumulation.
- An allocation of 60 minutes of daily PA, coupled with enhanced PA opportunities, appears optimal for maximizing children's MVPA.
- Targeting 60 minutes of daily PA in ASPs can help children achieve recommended physical activity levels.
Background:
Afterschool programs (ASPs) can provide opportunities for children to accumulate moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The optimal amount of time ASPs should allocate for physical activity (PA) on a daily basis to ensure children achieve policy-stated PA recommendations remains unknown.
Methods:
Children (n = 1248, 5 to 12 years) attending 20 ASPs wore accelerometers up to 4 nonconsecutive week days for the duration of the ASPs during spring 2013 (February-April). Daily schedules were obtained from each ASP.
Results:
Across 20 ASPs, 3 programs allocated ≤ 30min, 5 approximately 45 min, 4 60 min, 4 75 min, and 4 ≥ 105 min for PA opportunities daily (min·d-1). Children accumulated the highest levels of MVPA in ASPs that allocated ≥ 60 min·d-1 for PA opportunities (24.8-25.1 min·d-1 for boys and 17.1-19.4 min·d-1 for girls) versus ASPs allocating ≤ 45 min·d-1 for PA opportunities (19.7 min·d-1 and 15.6 min·d-1 for boys and girls, respectively). There were no differences in the amount of MVPA accumulated by children among ASPs that allocated 60 min·d-1 (24.8 min·d-1 for boys and 17.1 min·d-1 for girls), 75 min·d-1 (25.1 min·d-1 for boys and 19.4 min·d-1 for girls) or ≥ 105 min·d-1 (23.8 min·d-1 for boys and 17.8 min·d-1 for girls). Across ASPs, 26% of children (31% for boys and 14% for girls) met the recommended 30 minutes of MVPA.
Conclusions:
Allocating more than 1 hour of PA opportunities is not associated with an increase in MVPA during ASPs. Allocating 60 min·d-1, in conjunction with enhancing PA opportunities, can potentially serve to maximize children's accumulation of MVPA during ASPs.
