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The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on January 23, 2006
The European Journal of Public Health 2006 16(4):415-419; doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckl008
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Children and adolescents

Increasing children's physical activity levels during recess periods in elementary schools: the effects of providing game equipment

Stefanie J. M. Verstraete, Greet M. Cardon, Dirk L. R. De Clercq and Ilse M. M. De Bourdeaudhuij

Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University and Policy Research Center Sport, Physical Activity and Health, Belgium

Correspondence: Stefanie Verstraete, PhD student, Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium, tel: +32 9 264 86 36, fax: +32 9 264 64 84, e-mail: Stefanie.Verstraete{at}UGent.be

Background: During recess, children can be active on a daily basis, making it an important school environmental factor for the promotion of health-related physical activity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of providing game equipment on children's physical activity levels during morning recess and lunch break in elementary schools. Methods: Seven elementary schools were randomly assigned to the intervention group (four schools), including 122 children (75 boys, 47 girls, mean age: 10.8 ± 0.6 years), and to the control group (three schools), including 113 children (46 boys, 67 girls, mean age: 10.9 ± 0.7 years). Children's activity levels were measured before and three months after providing game equipment, using MTI accelerometers. Results: During lunch break, children's moderate and vigorous physical activity significantly increased in the intervention group (moderate: from 38 to 50%, vigorous: from 10 to 11%), while it decreased in the control group (moderate: from 44 to 39%, vigorous: from 11 to 5%). At morning recess, providing game equipment was effective in increasing children's moderate physical activity (from 41 to 45%), while it decreased in the control group (from 41 to 34%). Conclusion: Providing game equipment during recess periods was found to be effective in increasing children's physical activity levels. This finding suggests that promoting physical activity through game equipment provision during recess periods can contribute to reach the daily activity levels recommended for good health.

Keywords: children, game equipment, health promotion, physical activity, school playtime


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