Physical Activity Levels and Body Mass Index in Sport Education. Is There a Difference?

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Physical Activity
• Sports Science
• Educational Frameworks

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a growing concern, necessitating effective physical activity interventions.
• Sport education models offer a structured approach to physical education, but their impact on diverse student populations requires investigation.
• Understanding physical activity patterns across different phases of a sport education season is crucial for optimizing health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate physical activity levels in students during a sport education season, considering body mass index (BMI) and seasonal phases.
• To determine the contribution of sport education phases to meeting World Health Organization (WHO) physical activity guidelines.
• To assess the impact of sport education on students with overweight or obesity compared to normal-weight peers.

Main Methods:

• 42 primary school students (Year 5 & 6) participated in a 14-lesson team handball unit using a sport education model.
• Accelerometers (ActiGraph GT3X) measured physical activity (counts/minute, steps).
• Students were categorized into thin, normal-weight, or overweight/obese groups using BMI cutoffs (Cole and Lobstein).

Main Results:

• Overweight/obese students exhibited similar moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time scores compared to normal-weight students.
• The preseason phase demonstrated the highest physical activity levels and greatest contribution to WHO recommendations across all BMI groups.
• No significant differences in MVPA or sedentary time were found between overweight/obese and normal-weight students.

Conclusions:

• Sport education provides a viable pedagogical framework to enhance physical activity in overweight/obese children, enabling them to achieve comparable MVPA and sedentary levels to their normal-weight peers.
• Key components of sport education, such as role-playing, work routines, and autonomy in game selection, are effective in promoting physical activity for all students.
• The preseason phase of sport education is particularly effective in maximizing student engagement and adherence to physical activity recommendations.