Places where children are active: A longitudinal examination of children's physical activity

Rural Latino parent and child physical activity patterns: family environment matters

Background

Rural Latino children and adults are less active than urban and non-Latino counterparts. We examined physical activity (PA) patterns of rural Latino children and their parents, and explored parental beliefs about and reported barriers of Latino family physical activity. Latino families in a rural area in eastern Washington state, with children in grades 3–5 were included.

Methods

We used mixed methods. Children (n = 27) and parents (n = 25) wore an accelerometer for 5 days; parents (n = 31) participated in a semi-structured interview and completed a demographic survey. Parent and child activity levels were compared using paired t-tests; interviews were analyzed with qualitative content analysis.

Results

Although 100% children and 46% parents met physical activity guidelines, parents and children spent most of the day in sedentary behaviors. Parent-reported PA barriers included their long work hours, lack of transportation, and their child’s screen-time.

Conclusion

Addressing barriers and reducing sedentary time could increase PA of rural Latino families.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-12085-w.

Development and evaluation of a new measure of children's play: the Children's Play Scale (CPS)

Background

There is increasing recognition of the importance of children’s play from a public health perspective, given the links between play and children’s physical and mental health. The present research aimed to develop and evaluate a new parent-report questionnaire that measures the time children spend playing across a range of places and includes a supplement to evaluate how adventurously children play.

Methods

The questionnaire was developed with input from a diverse group of parents and experts in children’s play. It was designed to yield a range of metrics including time spent playing per year, time spent playing outside, time spent playing in nature and level of adventurous play. The reliability of the questionnaire was then evaluated with 245 parents (149 mothers, 96 fathers) of 154 children aged 5–11 years. All participants completed the measure at time 1. At time 2, an average of 20 days later, 184 parents (111 mothers and 73 fathers) of 99 children completed the measure again.

Results

Cross-informant agreement, evaluated using Concordance Correlation Coefficients (CCCs), ranged from 0.36 to 0.51. These fall in the poor to moderate range and are largely comparable to cross-informant agreement on other measures. Test-retest reliability for mothers was good (range 0.67–0.76) for time spent playing metrics. For fathers, test-retest reliability was lower (range 0.39–0.63). For both parents the average level of adventurous play variable had relatively poor test retest reliability (mothers = 0.49, fathers = 0.42). This variable also showed a significant increase from time 1 to time 2. This instability over time may be due to the timing of the research in relation to the Covid-19 lockdown and associated shifts in risk perception.

Conclusions

The measure will be of value in future research focusing on the public health benefits and correlates of children’s play as well as researchers interested in children’s outdoor play and play in nature specifically. The development of the measure in collaboration with parents and experts in children’s play is a significant strength. It will be of value for future research to further validate the measure against play diaries or activity monitors.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-10812-x.

Predictors of Physical Activity in Middle Childhood. A Fixed-Effects Regression Approach

Background: Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) has a range of health benefits across the life span. Although many putative determinants of children's MVPA have been identified, their causal status is uncertain due to difficulties in adjusting for potential confounders. Objective: To inform promotion of children's MVPA we therefore aimed to examine well-known child-, family- and contextual predictors of MVPA in middle childhood, by applying a fixed effects regression approach, which rules out the influence of all unmeasured time-invariant confounders. Methods: Two birth cohorts of children living in the city of Trondheim, Norway were invited to participate (82.0% consented). The participants were followed-up biennially from age 6 to 10 years (n = 800) between 2009 and 2014. MVPA in children was recorded by accelerometers and child-, family- and contextual factors were obtained through interviews and questionnaires. Predictors included (i) child-level factors: the child's time outdoors, organized sports participation, athletic self-concept, self-reported screen time and objectively measured sedentariness; (ii) family factors: self-reported parental MVPA and actively transporting the child to school; and (iii) contextual factors: parental socio-economic status (SES), access to playgrounds and ballparks, traffic safety, and having a garden. A three-wave prospective study was conducted with a hybrid fixed effects regressions analysis adjusting for all time-invariant confounders to examine predictors of MVPA. Results: Children evidenced increased MVPA when they spent more time outside, spent less time being sedentary and when the family had a garden and lived in a traffic-safe area. Conclusion: Adjusting for measured time-varying and all unmeasured time-invariant confounders renders many previously identified child and family factors without impact on MVPA in children. However, several contextual factors may promote MVPA in middle childhood, and efforts to facilitate children being outside in environments that promote physical activity (e.g., being outside, in gardens, or otherwise traffic safe areas) may prove important.

Physical and Social Contexts of Physical Activity Behaviors of Fifth and Seventh Grade Youth

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to characterize the temporal, social, and physical contexts for physical activities commonly reported in a diverse cohort of 753 boys and girls from fifth to seventh grade.

METHODS

Data were obtained from a multilevel longitudinal study, the Transitions and Activity Changes in Kids. The Physical Activity Choices instrument assessed previous 5-day participation in specific physical activities and their temporal, social, and physical contexts. Mixed model repeated measure analyses of variance and multinomial analyses examined sex differences and change over time.

RESULTS

Fifth grade boys and girls reported participation in similar activities at similar frequencies, which declined significantly by seventh grade. One temporal pattern, playing with younger children, changed over time from "both inside/outside" to "outside" school. Boys and females reported more activities performed in class/team groups over time. Most activities took place primarily at home for all participants in both grades.

CONCLUSIONS

Boys and girls reported declines in the variety and frequency of activities from fifth to seventh grade. There were sex-specific patterns in physical activities and groups; however, all participants reported home as the primary location and a shift to class/team groups over time. Schools are well-positioned to provide additional physical activity opportunities.