Physical Activity at School Recess: A Key Element in Balancing Social Disparities.
Usue Ariz, Ainhoa Fernández-Atutxa, Oscar Rivas-Fang and 1 others
PMID 35953301WHAT IT FOUND
Girls were more sedentary and less active than boys during school recess, especially older girls.
Children from ethnic minorities or lower socioeconomic status were more active at recess, but less active after school and on weekends.
Key findings
01Girls spent more recess time being sedentary and less time in light, moderate, vigorous, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity than boys.
02Older girls spent more recess time being sedentary and less time in light and moderate physical activity than younger girls, while boys did not show significant age differences in sedentary time.
03After adjusting for sex and age, race/ethnicity was associated with sedentary time, and race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, family physical activity, and weekend sport were associated with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at recess.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional and did not test an intervention. It was limited to one school and a sample of 131 children. It measured only morning recess, not physical activity across the whole day. Socioeconomic status came from free-lunch enrollment and was available for 107 of the 131 children. Children answered questions about activity outside school, not families.
Declared interests
All authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that recess caused lower activity in girls or that changing recess will fix disparities. This was a cross-sectional observational study in one school, and it did not test an intervention.