Patterning of physical activity and sedentary behavior at and away from school in preadolescent children

Understanding how and where children accumulate their physical activity (PA) and sedentary minutes throughout the day has important implications for behavioral interventions.

The purpose of this study was to examine the duration and intensity of habitual PA and sedentary time (SED) at and away from school among preadolescent children.

Data from twenty-one children ages 7-11 (57% girls; 57% non-white; 24% overweight/obese) were included in this analysis. Proportion of time spent in PA, SED, and SED bouts were examined on school days (in-school and out-of-school) and non-school days via accelerometry.

When comparing school time with non-school time on school days, children accumulated a higher proportion of light PA while in-school [49.3% (i.e. 5 minutes 18 seconds) vs. 39.6% (i.e. 3 hours 53 minutes), p=0.01]. While at school, the proportion of time spent in SED was less [46.3% (i.e. 3 hours 7 minutes) vs. 56.3% (i.e. 5 hours 32 minutes), p=0.01] and fewer children spent time engaged in prolonged sitting compared to out-of-school [uninterrupted SED for 30 minutes 52.4% (i.e. 11 children) vs. 85.7% (i.e. 18 children), p=0.02].

These findings suggest children are proportionately most active and least sedentary when at school, yet children only accumulated approximately 18 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA in this environment.

These preliminary findings can help to inform physical activity programming designed to promote life-long physical activity behaviors in children.