Using Data-Driven Insights to Explore the Variability in Pupils' Physical Activity Between English Primary Schools

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Physical Activity
• School Health Interventions
• Behavioral Epidemiology

Background:

• Understanding variations in children's physical activity within schools is crucial for developing effective interventions.
• Identifying factors influencing physical activity levels can inform strategies to promote healthier lifestyles in educational settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize interindividual differences in in-school physical activity among primary school pupils in England.
• To investigate school-level factors associated with variations in children's physical activity.

Main Methods:

• Anonymized data from wrist-worn devices were collected from 17,043 pupils and 2555 staff across 165 primary schools.
• Multilevel models analyzed associations between children's physical activity and school characteristics (e.g., playground area, government ratings), adjusting for individual factors.
• Descriptive statistics and data visualizations explored within- and between-school physical activity differences.

Main Results:

• Significant variation in daily physical activity (steps and moderate-to-vigorous activity minutes) was observed between schools.
• School-level factors like playground size and ratings did not explain the observed differences in physical activity.
• While boys were generally more active, some schools exhibited more equitable activity levels, with girls being more active in a small percentage of cases.

Conclusions:

• Considerable heterogeneity exists in physical activity levels among English primary schools.
• Technology-enabled monitoring using wearable devices can identify schools requiring additional support.
• These data can facilitate learning from schools demonstrating higher and more equitable physical activity among pupils.