Influence of School‐Level Socioeconomic Status on Children's Physical Activity, Fitness, and Fundamental Movement Skill Levels

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Authorities recommend that youth undertake at least 60 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), with young people having the opportunity to undertake at least half of this MVPA during school hours. METHODS:In this study, we examined the influence of school-level socioeconomic status (SES) on children's PA, fitness and fundamental movement skill (FMS) levels, and the barriers and enablers of children's PA in 86 Australian schools (41 primary, 45 secondary). School-level SES was based on an Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA). School representatives reported potential barriers and enablers for children's PA. We used subjective and objectives measures of PA, fitness, and FMS levels. Multiple logistic regression examined the associations of ICSEA category (low or high) with barriers and enablers, and PA outcomes, adjusting for children's language background and residence. RESULTS:Children from high SES schools were more likely to achieve the healthy fitness zone for cardiorespiratory fitness; those from low SES schools consistently reported more barriers and fewer enablers than their high SES counterparts. CONCLUSIONS:Extra efforts may be required to address school-level barriers and enablers to enhance PA, fitness, and FMS levels for schools in disadvantaged areas.Advantage; moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; youth fitness.Citation: Peralta LR, Mihrshahi S, Bellew B, Reece LJ, Hardy LL. Influence of school-level socioeconomic status on children's physical activity, fitness, and fundamental movement skill levels.

The Daily Mile: Whole-school recommendations for implementation and sustainability. A mixed-methods study

“…In this sample of children from south Wales, UK, the deprived group performed a lower number of shuttles at both time points and thus, displayed a lower proportion of children classified as fit. The social gradient of physical activity, CRF and deprivation is demonstrated in the literature, with a larger proportion of children from a higher socio-economic status classified as fit compared to those from a lower socio-economic status [60]. Reducing inequalities in health and narrowing the deprivation gap in children's CRF is a public health priority, given the wide range of health benefits of regular physical activity [1,3].…”

Association between the Sociodemographic Characteristics of Parents with Health-Related and Lifestyle Markers of Children in Three Different Spanish-Speaking Countries: An Inter-Continental Study at OECD Country Level

“…Unfortunately, the lifestyle of children today is affected when their parents have a low socioeconomic level [ 2 ]. Likewise, it is important to mention that children from schools with a low socioeconomic level had reported more barriers and fewer facilitators to obtain a healthy lifestyle with good levels of physical activity (PA) than their counterparts from schools with a high socioeconomic level [ 3 ]. A previous study has indicated that health is correlated with people’s socioeconomic status and lifestyle [ 4 ].…”

Gender differences in barriers to participation in after‐school physical activities and related factors in Australian schoolchildren: A cross‐sectional study

“…10 Girls often reported the larger number of barriers to PA participation than boys 11,12 while schoolchildren from low socio-economic status (SES) schools reported more barriers compared to students from the high SES schools. 13 However, evidence on perceived barriers to after-school PA among schoolchildren is scarce, 14 and less is known about whether boys and girls differ in their perceptions of barriers to participation in after-school PA. Therefore, the aim of this study was to address the above-mentioned gaps by describing the gender differences in barriers to participation in after-school PA and related health and socio-behavioural factors in Australian schoolchildren.…”