Purpose: To investigate how schoolchildren use different schoolyard areas and whether these areas are associated with different types of behavior. Schoolyard characteristics seem to be related to behavior during recess, but exactly which behavior takes place where is unclear. Methods: Time spent by 316 students (grade 5-8) in 5 types of schoolyard ...
Purpose: Objective measurement of school environments is important in determining how they impact children’s physical activity. We have previously developed and tested an audit tool to assess the opportunity for physical activity in primary schools. This study aims to test the validity of the same audit tool in secondary ...
Purpose: To examine reliability and variability of objectively-measured aspects of the school physical activity environment across 247 schools in 12 countries, representing both the developed and developing world. Methods: Audits of the school physical activity and nutrition environment were conducted by trained data collectors for all schools participating in the International Study ...
Purpose: This study aims to establish evidence-based accelerometer data reduction criteria to accurately assess sedentary patterns in children. We not only examined total sedentary time, but also duration and number of breaks and uninterrupted sedentary bouts. Methods: Participants (n=1057 European children; aged 10-12 yrs) wore an ActiGraph accelerometer for at ...
Purpose: Different definitions for determining non-wear time are currently used. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the definition of ActiGraph and activPAL non-wear time on data retention and the classification of sedentary and sitting time in children. Methods: Accelerometer and inclinometer data were drawn from ...
Purpose: Recently the importance of the pattern in which sedentary time is accumulated rather than total sedentary time has been established. To date, there is no consensus on the optimal definition of sedentary bouts and breaks in children. To build evidence for such definitions, we examined the association of various ...
Purpose: Use of accelerometers in research studies has increased over the past 25 years. The first accelerometer, the Caltrac, was worn on the waist and estimated physical activity EE (kcal). Subsequently, the emphasis shifted to measuring minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) done in 10-min bouts. However, light PA and intermittent MVPA ...
Purpose: To evaluate the associations between physical activity, sedentary behavior and cognitive functions in children. Methods: 230 Finnish children (mean age 12.2 years; 56% girls) participated in the study. Self-reported moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and screen time were evaluated with the questions used in the “WHO Health Behavior in School-aged Children” ...
Purpose: To examine whether change in SB and PA associated with a change in weight status over 24-months. Methods: Data were from Identifying Determinants of Eating and Activity (IDEA), a 3-year longitudinal cohort study that assessed the etiology of adolescent obesity. PA and SB were assessed using the ActiGraph (Model 7164; ...
Background: The effects of physical activity (PA) in producing weight loss are well known. However, there is some controversy about the relationship between PA intensity and levels of obesity in children. Further, different cut-offs have been used to classify obesity, which may influence the observed associations with PA. The ...