A multi-level examination of school programs, policies and resources associated with physical activity among elementary school youth in the PLAY-ON study

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

Research

Scott T Leatherdale¹  Guy Faulkner²  Kelly Arbour²  Steve Manske³  Chad Bredin³ 

[1] Department of Population Studies and Surveillance, Cancer Care Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;Propel Centre for Population Health Impact, Canadian Cancer Society and the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada;Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;Faculty of Physical Education and Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;Propel Centre for Population Health Impact, Canadian Cancer Society and the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada;

关键词: Physical Activity;    Sedentary Behaviour;    Screen Time;    Maintenance Phase;    School Characteristic;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1479-5868-7-6

 received in 2009-07-20, accepted in 2010-01-25,  发布年份 2010

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundGiven the decline in physical activity (PA) levels among youth populations it is vital to understand the factors that are associated with PA in order to inform the development of new prevention programs. Many studies have examined individual characteristics associated with PA among youth yet few have studied the relationship between the school environment and PA despite knowing that there is variability in student PA levels across schools.MethodsUsing multi-level logistic regression analyses we explored the school- and student-level characteristics associated with PA using data from 2,379 grade 5 to 8 students attending 30 elementary schools in Ontario, Canada as part of the PLAY-Ontario study.ResultsFindings indicate that there was significant between-school random variation for being moderately and highly active; school-level differences accounted for 4.8% of the variability in the odds of being moderately active and 7.3% of the variability in the odds of being highly active. Students were more likely to be moderately active if they attended a school that used PA as a reward and not as discipline, and students were more likely to be highly active if they attended a school with established community partnerships. Important student characteristics included screen time sedentary behaviour, participating in team sports, and having active friends.ConclusionFuture research should evaluate if the optimal population level impact for school-based PA promotion programming might be achieved most economically if intervention selectively targeted the schools that are putting students at the greatest risk for inactivity.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Leatherdale et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2010