Article

Promoting physical activity during school break times: piloting a simple, low cost intervention.

Centre for Educational Research and Evaluation, Ministry of Education and Culture, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Preventive Medicine (impact factor: 3.22). 03/2009; 48(4):332-4. DOI:10.1016/j.ypmed.2009.02.005 pp.332-4
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effectiveness of two interventions on children's physical activity during the 20-min school break.
Children from three schools participated in this study. In the first intervention school (n=89) the school's courts were allocated to different children on alternate days of the week, playground markings were painted in the school's yard and jump ropes were provided. In the second intervention school (n=89) the school's courts were just allocated to different children on alternate days of the week. The third school served as the control group (n=69). Physical activity was measured with a pedometer during the 20-min break (09:05-09:25) and during the after school period (13:05 till bed time). Data were collected in Cyprus, between January/April of 2007.
A significant time by group interaction indicated a change in break-time activity. Four weeks after the intervention, mean steps in the first (1427+/-499) and second (1331+/-651) intervention schools were significantly higher than steps in the control school (1053+/-447). Non-significant increases were observed in the after-school activity of children in the intervention schools.
Implementing simple, low-cost interventions during break periods could help increase children's activity.

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Keywords

20-min break
 
20-min school break
 
alternate days
 
break-time activity
 
children's physical activity
 
control group
 
control school
 
first intervention school
 
group interaction
 
Implementing simple
 
increase children's activity
 
intervention schools
 
low-cost interventions
 
Non-significant increases
 
playground markings
 
school's courts
 
school's yard
 
schools
 
second intervention school
 
third school
 

Constantinos A Loucaides