Changes in Physical Activity in the School, Afterschool, and Evening Periods During the Transition From Elementary to Middle School.
Erica Y Lau, Marsha Dowda, Kerry L McIver and 1 others
PMID 28580668WHAT IT FOUND
School-day activity dropped sharply as children moved from elementary to middle school, especially in the first year.
Boys and girls both lost school-day movement, while afterschool and evening patterns differed by sex.
Key findings
01Boys’ school-day total activity and moderate-to-vigorous activity declined over time, with a steeper drop between fifth and sixth grade than between sixth and seventh grade.
02Girls’ school-day total activity and moderate-to-vigorous activity declined over time, with a steeper drop between fifth and sixth grade than between sixth and seventh grade.
03Afterschool and evening moderate-to-vigorous activity changed differently by sex: it stayed stable in boys, increased in girls during afterschool, and declined in girls during the evening.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study followed children over time and did not test an intervention, so it cannot show what caused the decline or what would prevent it. Accelerometers were worn on the hip and could not capture swimming or activities with little vertical hip movement, so some activity may have been missed. Fewer children met the wear-time criteria for the evening period than for the school-day period. The school, afterschool, and evening periods were defined by clock times, which may not match every child’s actual day. The study was limited to 21 public elementary schools in two South Carolina districts, so its findings describe that setting.
Declared interests
The supplied publication types list NIH extramural research support; no author conflict declaration is included in the text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that middle school caused the activity decline. The study measured change over time but did not test what changed in schools or whether any intervention could reverse the pattern.