Introduction: Little objective data have examined the effectiveness of physical education (PE) in schools to augment students’ physical activity (PA) level. We believe that PE is one of the most important methods to increase PA among school aged children. Most studies have shown that students spend less than 50% of PE ...
Purpose: The study of children’s free-living cadence (steps/min) is possible using accelerometers capable of recording minute-by-minute step data monitored over several days. The objective of this study was to determine free-living accelerometer- determined time at or above GAITRite-assessed individualized normal cadence in children categorized by BMI as normal ...
Purpose: Accelerometers are commonly used as an objective measure of sedentary behavior, but the method of defining nonwear time directly affects sedentary estimates. The present study examined nonwear definitions and their impact on detection of sedentary time in youth using different ActiGraph models and filters. Methods: 60 youth (34 children and 26 adolescents; ...
Purpose: Most studies of neighbourhood features examine singular neighbourhood attributes, which may pattern in different ways. This study aimed to identify typologies of neighbourhood attributes and their associations with physical activity among children. Methods: The homes of 808 children aged 5-6 and 10-12 years were mapped in a Geographic Information System. ...
Purpose: To examine opportunities for physical activity (PA) at child care and how they relate to the amount and intensity of PA. Methods: 44 children (mean age 4.1 yrs, 57% girls) from 5 centers wore accelerometers and were observed for average 7.6 hours/ day (total 29 days). Observers coded activities into: 1) Not an active play opportunity, 2) ...
Purpose: Regular physical activity (PA) in children is associated with improved health. The aims of this study were to describe the patterns of daily PA and to assess compliance with recommendations for total physical activity in preschool children. Methods: This study sample comprised 856 preschool children, aged 3 to 6 years. Children wore ...
Purpose: Motherhood represents a critical window of change in the life-course including physical activity levels. No studies have objectively examined the daily cadence (patterns) of physical activity (PA) among dyads of preschool aged children and mothers. In this study we examined mother-child dyads’ PA levels across week and weekend day ...
Purpose: Seasonal variations may influence children’s physical activity patterns. Research is needed to examine how much physical activity youth engage in across the day and how this varies between seasons to inform the development of physical activity programs. The aim of this study was to investigate seasonal changes in ...
Purpose: To examine physical activity levels in kindergarten and grade 2 in cross-sectional cohorts and a longitudinal sample. Methods: Ninety-six kindergarten children (Mage=5y 7m, 58% boys) from 8 British Columbia schools participated in 2010-11, and 101 grade 2 children (Mage=7y 9m, 52%, boys) participated in 2012-2013. A sub-cohort of 21 children were tracked from kindergarten ...
Purpose: To analyze associations between environmental perceptions and health behaviors between children from low (LWA) and high walkability areas (HWA). Methods: This cross-sectional study includes 102 children (11.6+/-0.7y) from Porto (Portugal) living in areas with high and low GIS-based walkability. Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time was ...