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What helps children to move more at school recess and lunchtime? Mid-intervention results from Transform-Us! cluster-randomised controlled trial

journal contribution
posted on 2014-01-01, 00:00 authored by M Yildirim, Lauren ArundellLauren Arundell, Ester Cerin, V Carson, Helen BrownHelen Brown, David CrawfordDavid Crawford, Kylie HeskethKylie Hesketh, Nicky RidgersNicky Ridgers, S Te Velde, M Chinapaw, Jo SalmonJo Salmon
Background 
To investigate the interpersonal and physical environment mediators of the Transform-Us! mid-intervention effects on physical activity (PA) during recess and lunchtime.

Methods
Transform-Us! is a clustered randomised school-based intervention with four groups: sedentary behaviour intervention (SB-I), PA intervention (PA-I), combined PA+SB-I and control group. All children in grade 3 from 20 participating primary schools in Melbourne, Australia were eligible to complete annual evaluation assessments. The outcomes were the proportion of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and light PA (LPA) during recess and lunchtime assessed by accelerometers. Potential mediators included: perceived social support from teachers; perceived availability of line markings; perceived accessibility of sports equipment; and perceived school play environment. Generalised linear models were used and mediation effects were estimated by product-of-coefficients (a·b) approach.

Results
268 children (8.2 years, 57% girls at baseline) provided complete data at both time points. A significant intervention effect on MVPA during recess in the SB-I and PA-I groups compared with the control group (proportional difference in MVPA time; 38% (95% CI 21% to 57%) and 40% (95% CI 20% to 62%), respectively) was found. The perceived school play environment was significantly positively associated with MVPA at recess among girls. An increase in perceived social support from teachers suppressed the PA+SB-I effect on light PA during recess (a·b= −0.03, 95% CI −0.06 to −0.00). No significant mediating effects on PA during recess and lunchtime were observed.

Conclusions
A positive perception of the school play environment was associated with higher MVPA during recess among girls. Future studies should conduct mediation analyses to explore underlying mechanisms of PA interventions.

History

Journal

British journal of sports medicine

Volume

48

Issue

3

Pagination

271 - 277

Publisher

B M J Group

Location

London, England

ISSN

0306-3674

eISSN

1473-0480

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2014, BMJ Group