Increasing physical activity in young primary school children — it's child's play: A cluster randomised controlled trial

A Guide for Educators to Move Beyond Conventional School Playgrounds: The RE-AIM Evaluation of the Lunchtime Enjoyment Activity and Play (LEAP) Intervention

“…Consistent with physical activity intensity increases from the LEAP intervention, a previous 13-week movable/recycled materials intervention (n=12 schools) also demonstrated significant increases in 5-7 year old students' MVPA during school breaks (Engelen, et al, 2013). Teachers in the present study reported that the intervention was essential for the students and had a positive impact on their productivity and purpose during play activities.…”

“…This finding is comparable to a similar 13 week movable/recycled materials intervention that revealed initial physical activity intensity increases from the intervention in 5-7 year old students could be maintained for two years (Engelen, et al, 2013). This suggests that a large proportion of the students preferred to engage in physical activity and play that is less competitive during school breaks, an emerging consideration for teachers (Dyment, et al, 2009) when offering activities and equipment for use during school break periods.…”

“…Reflecting previous studies of 5-7 year olds (Engelen et al, 2013;Bundy et al, 2009;Bundy et al, 2008), teachers highlighted many intra-personal developmental benefits in primary school students of all ages that included students' engagement in play, excitement, creativity, problem solving and physical activity. The level of students' engagement was seen to reflect positively within the wider school community with teachers stating that many parents highlighted how engaged the students were with the materials.…”

“…Strategies to further enhance the successful maintenance of the LEAP intervention could be to include a co-ordinator or key teacher to advocate for the intervention and to monitor the condition of the materials (Hoelscher et al, 2003;Rogers, 2002;Webber et al, 2008). As the LEAP intervention builds upon previous research (Engelen, et al, 2013;Bundy et al, 2009;Bundy et al, 2008) by examining additional health outcomes and a larger age range, future research could investigate the implementation of movable/recycled materials during after school periods and across multiple school environments to complement or replace conventional school playgrounds.…”

Effects of a 24 Week Multifaceted Sports Training Program on Some Physical Characteristics of 5 to 9 Year-Old Children

“…According to the World Health Organization data, three million deaths and 32 million disability status occur each year due to low physical activity (http://www.who.int/gho/ncd/risk_factors/physical_activity_text/en/). The habit of sedentary life begins at a young age, and it is not so easy for adults to pick up a physically active life style after a childhood period lived away from exercises (Engelen et al, 2013). In addition to making children get into the habit of doing sports at a young age, regular exercise is also necessary for their healthy growth.…”