Investigating the impact of physical activity on BMI, motor skills, and sleep patterns in elementary school children

This research examines how interschool physical activity (PA) interventions affect children's BMI, motor skills, and sleep behaviors.

In this investigation, a stratified random sampling method was implemented to choose 40 physically and mentally healthy fifth-grade students (average age of 10.72 ± 0.56 years) from an elementary school in Tianjin, China, after stratification by gender, randomly divided into experimental group (EG, n = 20, 10 boys and 10 girls) and control groups (CG, n = 20, 10 boys and 10 girls). The EG participated in 320 min of physical activity (PA) weekly, comprising 200 min of standard physical education classes and 120 min of supplementary intervention activities. The CG adhered to the standard timetable, consisting of 200 min of physical education and 120 min of non-PA weekly. BMI, motor skills (evaluated through standardized assessments like the 50 m run, 50 m × 8 back-and-forth run, 1-min jump rope, sit-and-reach and 1-min sit-ups), PA (moderate- to-vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) and sedentary time), and sleep patterns (duration and efficiency) were measured at weeks 0, 6, and 12.

After the intervention, the BMI of the EG was significantly reduced by 0.26 kg/m² (p < 0.05), all the indexes of motor skills were significantly improved (p < 0.05) compared to the CG. The EG significantly increased MVPA time by 30.28 min (p < 0.05), while significantly reducing sedentary time by 60.22 min (p < 0.01). Regarding sleep patterns, the EG slept an additional 44.83 min (p < 0.01), with sleep efficiency improving by 5.62% (p < 0.01). No significant variations were observed in any of these indicators within the CG. Concerning gender differences, boys and girls in the EG displayed similar trends in BMI, motor skills, PA levels, and sleep quality, with no notable differences.

Enhancing interschool PA by 120 min weekly over a 12-week period has been shown to significantly improve BMI, motor skills, PA levels, and sleep quality among 10-to-11-year-old children. This intervention offers a practical foundation for promoting children's health and developing school physical education standards.