Increasing Physical Activity Through Recess

Transcription

1 Active Livig Research Buildig Evidece to Prevet Childhood Obesity ad Support Active Commuities www. Research brief Jauary 212 Icreasig Physical Activity Through Recess Itroductio Regular physical activity promotes importat health beefits, reduces risk for obesity ad is liked with ehaced academic performace amog studets. 1, 2 The U.S. Surgeo Geeral recommeds that childre egage i at least 6 miutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week, yet fewer tha half of childre ages 6 to 11 meet that recommedatio. 3 Numerous legislative efforts, icludig the Child Nutritio ad WIC Reauthorizatio Act of 24 [P.L ], ad leadig public health orgaizatios, such as the Ceters for Disease Cotrol ad Prevetio ad the America Heart Associatio, recogize that schools play a critical role i supportig physical activity amog childre. 4, Further, Healthy People 22 objectives released by the U.S. Departmet of Health ad Huma Services uderscore the importace of physical activity i schools, icludig daily physical educatio ad regular recess. 6

2 Active Livig Research Research Brief Jauary 212 page 2 Recess is scheduled outside of class time ad allows studets to egage i physical ad social activities of their choice. The Natioal Associatio for Sport & Physical Exercise (NASPE) recommeds that all elemetary school studets have at least 2 miutes of recess each day. 7 Short physical activity breaks, such as those offered durig recess, have bee show to ehace cogitive performace ad improve learig. 8 This brief summarizes the growig body of research examiig recess, which shows that providig recess durig the school day is a effective ad efficiet way to icrease physical activity ad improve academic performace amog childre. 9 Key Research Results Providig recess breaks throughout the day ca improve studets classroom behavior ad attetiveess, two ofte-cited barriers to studet learig Oe study foud that studets demostrated more iattetiveess as the legth betwee recess periods icreased, suggestig that the timig of recess is importat. 13 Aother study foud that studets who were provided at least 1 miutes of recess exhibited higher rates of o-task behavior i the classroom that day. 14 Childre ca accumulate up to 4 percet of their total daily physical activity durig recess. The percetage of recess time durig which childre egage i physical activity rages from 16 percet to 68 percet amog boys, ad 1 percet to 2 percet amog girls. 1 Further, the cotributio of recess to total daily physical activity rages from percet to 4 percet for boys ad percet to 31 percet for girls. These large rages could be due to variatios i the method of measurig physical activity, legth or timig of recess, ethic backgroud of studets, ad/or the recess eviromet. There are may effective strategies for icreasig childre s levels of physical activity durig recess: Providig iexpesive playgroud equipmet ecourages studets to be more active. I oe study, providig studets with equipmet such as flyig discs, plastic hoops, jump ropes, beabags ad balls icreased time spet i moderate-to-vigorous physical activity durig recess from 48 percet to 61 percet. 16 Amog studets i the cotrol group, time spet i moderate-to-vigorous physical activity decreased from percet to 44 percet. While there is limited research i this area, these fidigs suggest that providig low-cost equipmet ca help icrease physical activity. Traiig recess supervisors to teach ew games ad iteract with studets may help icrease physical activity. Traiig staff to promote physical activity is essetial to achievig this goal, as some data suggest utraied recess supervisors may reduce physical activity opportuities durig recess. 17 Other research suggests that traiig staff to implemet games durig recess ca promote physical activity amog studets. 18

3 Active Livig Research Research Brief Jauary 212 page 3 Paitig playgroud surfaces with lies for recreatio games (e.g., four square, hopscotch) or murals (e.g., castles, dragos, mazes) icreases childre s physical activity durig daily recess I oe study, childre spet more tha percet of recess egaged i moderate-to-vigorous physical activity after the markigs were paited compared with 38 percet before the itervetio. 22 Further research showed that the icreased level of physical activity persisted for six moths amog both boys ad girls. 23 Allocatig playgroud space for desigated activity zoes ca have a sigificat impact o moderate-to-vigorous physical activity amog studets. 24 However, whe variables such as the school or studet age were cosidered, the results were ot sigificat. It is possible that it may take some studets more time to adapt to physical chages to the playgroud. Further, schools eed to esure that all studets have access to these spaces. Combiig several low-cost approaches ca be effective i icreasig physical activity amog studets durig recess. For istace, combiig activity zoes with paitig, markigs ad equipmet resulted i childre accumulatig approximately 2 to 3 more steps i a 2-miute recess period tha their peers i cotrol schools. 2 Other research foud success usig a multifaceted approach that icorporated staff traiig, activity zoes ad equipmet. 26 Studets accumulated 4. more miutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity durig a 2-miute recess after the combiatio of chages was implemeted at school. The umber of school districts that require or recommed daily recess may be decreasig. A atioal survey coducted by the Ceters for Disease Cotrol ad Prevetio i 26 foud that oly 12 percet of states required elemetary schools to provide daily recess. 27 It also foud that 7 percet of school districts required, ad 33 percet recommeded, daily recess. More recet fidigs from the 28 9 school year suggest that oly 2 percet of districts atiowide had a welless policy that required daily recess, ad 18 percet recommeded daily recess. 28 Childre at high risk for obesity are least likely to have recess. 29 As show i Figure 1, childre who live i cities, reside i the southeast Uited States or atted schools with a high percetage of studets from lower-icome families are least likely to have recess. The same is also true for childre who atted schools with a high percetage of America Idia or Alaska Native, Asia or Pacific Islader, o-hispaic Black ad/or Hispaic studets.

4 Active Livig Research Research Brief Jauary 212 page 4 Figure 1. Percetage of Schools Reportig No Recess 3 By School Locale By Regio % 1.8% 1 1 Percetage of Schools 1.2% 6.% 6.7% Percetage of Schools 1.3% 8.3% 6.8% Rural Tow Urba City Frige West Cetral South- Northwest west By Percetage of America Idia or Alaska Native, Asia or Pacific Islader, No-Hispaic Black ad/or Hispaic Studets Erolled By Percetage of Studets Eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Luch 21.7% % 1 1 Percetage of Schools 1.7% 6.3% 3.3% Percetage of Schools 1 6.2%.4% 4.3% >% 21 49% 6 2% <6% >7% 74% 3 49% <3%

5 Active Livig Research Research Brief Jauary 212 page Coclusios Providig recess is a importat strategy for icreasig health-promotig (i.e., moderateto-vigorous) physical activity ad improvig behavior ad cocetratio amog studets. Although may leadig orgaizatios recommed that elemetary schools provide daily recess, most states ad school districts do ot require it. Further, studets who are at highest risk for obesity are least likely to atted a school that offers recess. Amog studets who do have recess, there is a wide rage i the amout of time they sped egaged i physical activity. Several strategies for icreasig physical activity durig recess have bee successful, icludig providig playgroud markigs, activity zoes, recreatioal equipmet ad traied supervisors. Policy Implicatios Evidece-based recess regulatios ca be implemeted to promote physical activity durig the school day. Possible regulatios could iclude those that call for providig a safe eviromet ad ample recreatioal equipmet to ecourage physical activity, offerig at least 2 miutes of recess per day, ad traiig recess supervisors ad staff to iteract with studets to better promote physical activity. 31 Schools could parter with local busiesses or civic orgaizatios to help implemet evidece-based strategies for maximizig childre s physical activity durig recess. For example, a local busiess or oprofit orgaizatio may agree to doate jump ropes or pait playgroud surfaces used durig recess. High school or college studets who are participatig i a service program or erolled i courses with a service-learig compoet could visit elemetary schools to teach ew activities durig recess, oversee a activity zoe as recess assistat supervisors, or help reovate a recess space. Schools could desigate a physical activity director who would work to maximize time spet i physical activity durig recess, physical educatio classes ad other opportuities for studets to be active at school. 32 State ad federal educatio agecies could provide icetives for schools that use evidecebased approaches to icrease studets levels of physical activity by givig credit i school quality scores, icludig o school report cards or school improvemet plas. Creatig a optimal eviromet for recess oe that is safe, well-supervised by traied staff ad provides well-maitaied recreatioal equipmet has potetial to reduce ijuries ad improve behavior amog childre, both of which are ofte cited by admiistrators as deterrets to offerig recess. 33

6 Active Livig Research Research Brief Jauary 212 page 6 Edotes 1 The Surgeo Geeral s Call to Actio to Decrease Overweight ad Obesity 21. Rockville, MD: Uited States Departmet of Health ad Huma Services, Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeo Geeral, Trost SG. Active Educatio: Physical Educatio, Physical Activity ad Academic Performace. A Research Brief. Priceto, NJ: Robert Wood Johso Foudatio, Troiao RP, Berriga D, Dodd KW, et al. Physical Activity i the Uited States Measured by Accelerometer. Joural of the America College of Sports Medicie, 4(1): , Pate RR, Davis MG, Robiso TN, et al. Promotig Physical Activity i Childre ad Youth: a Leadership Role for Schools: A Scietific Statemet from the America Heart Associatio Coucil o Nutritio, Physical Activity, ad Metabolism (Physical Activity Committee) i Collaboratio with the Coucils o Cardiovascular Disease i the Youg ad Cardiovascular Nursig. Circulatio. 114(11): , 26. Comprehesive School Physical Activity Programs: A Positio Statemet. Resto, VA: Natioal Associatio for Sport ad Physical Educatio, Healthy People 22 Objectives. topicsobjectives22/default.aspx. Accessed November Comprehesive School Physical Activity Programs: Positio Statemet. Resto, VA: Natioal Associatio for Sport ad Physical Educatio, Sibley B ad Etier J. The Relatioship Betwee Physical Activity ad Cogitio i Childre: A Meta-Aalysis. Pediatric Exercise Sciece, 1:243 26, Trost S, Barros RM, Silver EJ, ad Stei REK. School Recess ad Group Classroom Behavior. Pediatrics, 123: , Jarrett OS, Maxwell DM, Dickerso C, et al. Impact of Recess o Classroom Behavior: Group Effects ad Idividual Differeces. Joural of Educatioal Research, 92(2): , Pellegrii AD, Huberty PD ad Joes I. The Effects of Recess Timig o Childre s Playgroud ad Classroom Behaviors. America Educatioal Research Joural, 32(4): , Pellegrii AD, et al., Barros RM, et al., Ridgers ND, Stratto G, Fairclough SJ, et al. Physical Activity Levels of Childre durig School Playtime. Sports Medicie, 36(4), , Verstraete SJ, Cardo GM, De Clercq DL, et al. Icreasig Childre s Physical Activity Levels Durig Recess Periods i Elemetary Schools: The Effects of Providig Game Equipmet. Europea Joural of Public Health, 16(4): , McKezie TL, Crespo NC, Baquero B, et al. Leisure-time physical activity i elemetary schools: Aalysis of cotextual coditios. Joural of School Health, 8(1), , Coolly P ad McKezie T. Effects of a Game Itervetio o the Physical Activity Levels of Childre at Recess. Research Quarterly for Exercise ad Sport, 66:A66, Loucaides CA, Jago R, ad Charalambous I. Promotig Physical Activity durig School Break Times: Pilotig a Simple, Low Cost Itervetio. Prevetive Medicie, 48(4): , Ridgers ND, Stratto G, Fairclough SJ, et al. Log-term Effects of a Playgroud Markigs ad Physical Structures o Childre s Recess Physical Activity Levels. Prevetive Medicie, 44(): , Stratto G ad Mulla E. The Effect of Multicolor Playgroud Markigs o Childre s Physical Activity Level Durig Recess. Prevetive Medicie, 41( 6): , Stratto G ad Mulla E, Ridgers ND et al., Ridgers ND, Stratto, G, Fairclough, SJ, et al. Childre s Physical Activity Levels durig School Recess: A Quasi-experimetal itervetio study. Iteratioal Joural of Behavioral Nutritio ad Physical Activity. 4:19, Loucaides CA et al., Huberty J, Siahpush M, Beighle A, et al. Ready for Recess: A Pilot Study to Icrease the Physical Activity i Elemetary school Childre. Joural of School Health, 81:21 27, Lee, SM, Burgeso CR, Fulto JE, et al. Physical Educatio ad Physical Activity: Results From the School Health Policies ad Programs Study 26. Joural of School Health, 77(8): , Chriqui JF, Scheider L, Chaloupka FJ, et al. School District Welless Policies: Evaluatig Progress ad Potetial for Improvig Childre s Health Three Years after the Federal Madate. Vol. 2. Chicago, IL: Bridgig the Gap Program, Health Policy Ceter, Istitute for Health Research ad Policy, Uiversity of Illiois at Chicago, Ceter for Educatio Statistics, Fast Respose Survey System. Washigto, DC: Uited States Departmet of Educatio, 2. 3 Ibid. 31 Ramstetter CL, Murray R, ad Garer, AS. The Crucial Role of Recess i Schools. Joural of School Health, 8(11): 17 26, South Carolia Legislatio Stadard Columbia, SC: (accessed March 211). 33 Ramsetter CL et al.,

7 Active Livig Research Research Brief Jauary 212 page 7 This brief was prepared by Aaro Beighle, Ph.D., Uiversity of Ketucky, with support from the Active Livig Research staff. Peer review was provided by Thomas L. McKezie, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Sa Diego State Uiversity ad Nicola D. Ridgers Ph.D., Deaki Uiversity, Australia. For updates ad a Web-based versio of this sythesis, visit Active Livig Research, a atioal program of the Robert Wood Johso Foudatio, stimulates ad supports research to idetify evirometal factors ad policies that ifluece physical activity for childre ad families to iform effective childhood obesity prevetio strategies, particularly i low-icome ad racial/ethic commuities at highest risk. Active Livig Research wats solid research to be part of the public debate about active livig. Active Livig Research Uiversity of Califoria, Sa Diego 39 Fifth Aveue, Suite 31 Sa Diego, CA www.