Recreational Physical Activity Online Decrease Obesity on School Children: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Objective To determine the effects of recreational physical activity mediated by technology on the body composition of six- to nine-year-old children. Childhood obesity is a public health problem associated with the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and which was exacerbated during the COVID-19 lockdowns, given the restrictions on going to school and participating in group games, among others. Methods A quasi-experimental intervention study included 27 schoolchildren (12 boys and 15 girls) with an average age of 6 from an educational establishment during who received three 60-minute online sessions of recreational physical activity per week for 20 weeks. Results Medical tests were carried out prior to the intervention, which found that 13.3% of girls were overweight and 40% obese, while 6.7% of boys were overweight and 41.6% obese. After the interventions, there was an average weight reduction of 1.7 kg (p = 0.16), while there were also reductions in the proportion of the participants suffering from overweight and obesity, body fat percentage (0.9 percentage points; p = 0.4) and abdominal circumference (1.01 cm; p = 0.63). Conclusion The interventions mediated by technology had a positive impact on anthropometric measurements, promoting healthy practices and physical exercise during lockdown.