Environmental modifications to increase physical activity during recess: preliminary findings from ready for recess
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Ready for Recess: an elementary school recess intervention targeting staff training (ST) and providing recreational equipment (EQ). METHODS: Ready for Recess had 4 intervention schools: 1) EQ+ST, 2) EQ, 3) ST, and 4) control. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was assessed with accelerometers at the four schools in 257 3rd- to 6th-grade children. Random intercept models for overweight/obese (OWOB) and healthy weight (HW) for boys and girls separately, examined change in percentage of time spent in MVPA during recess across EQ+ST, EQ, and ST compared with the control from baseline to postintervention. RESULTS: HW boys receiving EQ+ST increased MVPA by 19.4%, OWOB boys receiving ST increased MVPA by 4.5%, OWOB girls receiving EQ-ST increased MVPA by 6.0%, while HW girls receiving EQ decreased MVPA by 13.6% in comparison with the control. CONCLUSIONS: Ready for Recess represents a possible means to increase MVPA in OWOB girls/boys, populations least likely to meet MVPA recommendations. However, the effect of the intervention was not uniform across all subgroups.
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A differential response to intervention based on sex was identified in 6 studies, including 1 large high-quality RCT and 2 large low-quality RCTs.
“A differential response to intervention based on sex was identified in 6 studies,53, 54, 65, 75, 79, 91 including 1 large high-quality RCT75 and 2 large low-quality RCTs.53, 54”
From A mixed-studies systematic review and meta-analysis of school-based interventions to promote physical activity and/or reduce sedentary time in children (2020) · cites this paper as [53]
A small number of included studies considered sex differences in terms of intervention effectiveness.
“Whilst a small number of studies considered sex differences in terms of intervention effectiveness”
From A mixed-studies systematic review and meta-analysis of school-based interventions to promote physical activity and/or reduce sedentary time in children (2020) · cites this paper as [53]
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- Authors
- Huberty, J. L., Beets, M. W., Beighle, A., & Welk, G.
- Affiliations
- University of Nebraska at Omaha (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Physical Activity and Health
- Publisher
- Human Kinetics
- Published
- 2011-09
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- s2
- Pages
- S249-S256
- ISSN
- 1543-3080 (ISSN-L)
- 1543-5474
- OpenAlex
- W2156418597
- Cited by
- 50
- References
- 28
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 3 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 3.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Physical Activity and Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › School Health and Nursing Education
- Keywords
- recess, elementary school students, employee training, recreational equipment, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, childhood overweight and obesity, school-based intervention, environmental modification, sex differences
- MeSH terms
- Acceleration, Child, Environment Design, Health Promotion, Humans, Motor Activity, Obesity, Recreation, Schools, Time Factors, Program Evaluation, Confidence Intervals, Program Development, Social Marketing
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