Physical education contributes to total physical activity levels and predominantly in higher intensity physical activity categories
Authors
Kerr, Catherine J.Smith, Lindsey Rachel
Charman, Sarah J.
Harvey, Stephen
Savory, Louise A.
Fairclough, Stuart J.
Govus, Andrew
Issue Date
2016-10-04
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Children’s engagement in physical activity of a vigorous intensity or higher is more effective at promoting cardiorespiratory fitness than moderate physical activity. It remains unclear how higher intensity physical activity varies between days when schoolchildren participate in physical education (PE) than on non-PE days. The purpose of this study was to assess how PE contributes to sedentary behaviour and the intensity profile of physical activity accumulated on PE-days than on non-PE days. 53 schoolchildren (36 girls, 11.7 ± 0.3 years) completed 5-day minute-by-minute habitual physical activity monitoring using triaxial accelerometers to determine time spent sedentary (<1.5 METs) and in light (1.5-2.9 METs), moderate (3-5.9 METs), vigorous (6-8.9 METs), hard (9-11.9 METs) and very hard intensity (≥12 METs) physical activity on PE-days and non-PE days. Sedentary time was higher on non-PE days than on PE-days (mean difference: 62 minutes, p < 0.001). Hard and very hard intensity physical activity was significantly higher on PE days compared with non-PE days (mean total difference: 33 minutes, all significant at p < 0.001). During the PE lesson, boys spent more time in hard (p < 0.01) and very hard (p < 0.01) physical activity compared to girls. Schoolchildren spent significantly more time in higher intensity physical activity and significantly less time sedentary on PE-days than on non-PE days. As well as reducing sedentary behaviour, the opportunity to promote such health-promoting higher intensity physical activity in the school setting warrants further investigation.Citation
Kerr C, Smith L, Charman S, Harvey S, Savory L, Fairclough S, Govus A (2016) 'Physical education contributes to total physical activity levels and predominantly in higher intensity physical activity categories', European Physical Education Review 24 (2) 152-164Publisher
SageAdditional Links
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1356336X16672127Type
ArticleLanguage
enISSN
1356-336Xae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1177/1356336X16672127
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