School Lunch Timing and Children's Physical Activity During Recess: An Exploratory Study
Abstract
Objective To examine the relationship between school lunch timing (before vs after recess) on physical activity (PA) during recess and energy balance and food intake at lunch. Methods A cross-sectional study design was used to examine lunch intake and PA during recess among fourth- and fifth-graders (n = 103) over 5 school days. Lunch and PA were measured using a weighted plate waste technique and accelerometry, respectively. Results Children who received lunch before recess accumulated lower residual energy (ie, energy intake at lunch minus energy expenditure during recess) and consumed a greater proportion of milk servings. No timing effects were observed for other lunch and PA variables. Conclusions and implications Lunch intake and activity during recess are related to lunch timing policy. Findings warrant further examination using experimental and quasi-experimental studies to better understand the impact of timing on health behaviors.
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Less is known about the impact of lunch scheduling on the physical activity of students during recess.
“Less is known about the impact of lunch scheduling on the physical activity of students during recess [22].”
From When to Eat and When to Play: Variations in Recess and Lunch Scheduling Within a State 40‐Min Recess Policy (2025) · cites this paper as [22]
Cites
Poitras, V. J., Gray, C. E., Borghese, M. M., Carson, V., Chaput, J.-P., Janssen, I., Katzmarzyk, P. T., Pate, R. R., Connor Gorber, S., Kho, M. E., et al. (2016) · Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism · doi:10.1139/apnm-2015-0663 · Cited by 2,217 · see citing works
The crucial role of recess in school
COUNCIL ON SCHOOL HEALTH, Murray, R., Ramstetter, C., Devore, C., Allison, M., Ancona, R., Barnett, S., Gunther, R., Holmes, B. W., Lamont, J., et al. (2013) · Pediatrics · doi:10.1542/peds.2012-2993 · Cited by 225 · see citing works
Clark, M. A., & Fox, M. K. (2009) · Journal of the American Dietetic Association · doi:10.1016/j.jada.2008.10.060 · Cited by 189 · see citing works
Obesity and risk of bladder cancer: A dose-response meta-analysis of 15 cohort studies
Sun, J.-W., Zhao, L.-G., Yang, Y., Ma, X., Wang, Y.-Y., & Xiang, Y.-B. (2015) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0119313 · Cited by 133 · see citing works
Lunch, recess and nutrition: Responding to time incentives in the cafeteria
Price, J., & Just, D. R. (2015) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.11.016 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Huberty, J. L., Beets, M. W., Beighle, A., Saint-Maurice, P. F., & Welk, G. (2014) · Journal of Physical Activity and Health · doi:10.1123/jpah.2012-0061 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
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Strategies to Improve School Meal Consumption: A Systematic Review
Cohen, J. F. W., Hecht, A. A., Hager, E. R., Turner, L., Burkholder, K., & Schwartz, M. B. (2021) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu13103520 · Cited by 90 · see citing works
“in two elementary schools in Illinois, found recess before lunch was associated with greater milk consumption, but found no association with other meal components [21,120].”
BackgroundBurton, M., Wood, J. M., Booth, A. O., Worsley, A., Larsson, C., & Margerison, C. (2022) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2021.105817 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Calvert, H. G., Ohri-Vachaspati, P., McQuilkin, M., Boedeker, P., & Turner, L. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18168558 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Howie, E. K., Harden, S. M., Lemus, J., Stone, B., Barr‐Anderson, D. J., & Long, C. R. (2025) · Journal of School Health · doi:10.1111/josh.70055 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
- Authors
- McLoughlin, G. M., Edwards, C. G., Jones, A., Chojnacki, M. R., Baumgartner, N. W., Walk, A. D., Woods, A. M., Graber, K. C., & Khan, N. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- Corresponding author
- Khan, Naiman A.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2019-05
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 616-622
- ISSN
- 1499-4046 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2913000413
- Cited by
- 15
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 1.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- The Keep (Eastern Illinois University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Keywords
- recess, children's physical activity, energy balance, residual energy, milk consumption, plate waste, school nutrition policy, elementary school students
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Child, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Food Preferences, Humans, Male, Milk, Recreation, Schools, Time Factors, Exercise, Child Nutrition Sciences, Accelerometry, Lunch
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