The Impact of Physical Activity at School on Eating Behaviour and Leisure Time of Early Adolescents

Abstract

(1) Background: Diet and physical activity (PA) significantly impact health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of long-term increase in organized PA level at school on the eating behaviour and leisure time of early adolescences in the period from the age of 10 to 12. (2) Methods: Children born in 2007 (n = 278) in groups with a standard (control group) and increased level of organized PA at school (4 and 10 h a week) were subjected to an anonymous follow-up survey. The questionnaire included 22 questions related to the eating behaviour and ways and frequency of leisure time PA. The study was conducted in the same groups in three assessment sessions in September 2017, 2018 and 2019. (3) Results: During the course of the study, it was shown improvement of eating behaviour in the increased PA group whereas decline in the standard PA one. The share of children with good and very good scores of eating behaviour decreased in the standard PA group from 56.89% to 54.54% and increased in the increased PA from 58.06% to 60.29%. In the increased PA group children more frequently than standard PA ate vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry meat, wholemeal bakery products, milk, dairy products and drinking tea without sugar, as well as ate breakfast. The standard PA children more frequently than increased PA ate high sugar and/or fat content food as sweets, savoury snacks and drank fizzy drinks as well as fast foods. The frequency of often undertaken leisure time PA increased in the increased PA group from 67% to 74%, while decreased in the standard PA from 58% to 52%. (4) Conclusions: Increase in organized PA at school beneficially influenced early adolescents’ eating behaviour and frequency of leisure time PA during 2 years observation. It also increased early adolescents’ awareness of healthy diet. Increased PA at school helps shaping healthy lifestyle among early adolescents.

Impact of Food Safety and Nutrition Knowledge on the Lifestyle of Young Poles—The Case of the Lublin Region

“…After all, usually, parents prepare breakfast for high school students and make sure they eat it. These results were consistent with those of Portuguese teenagers in many school years, who also did not skip breakfast [38], but contradictory to the results of Polish studies indicating skipping breakfast by teenagers, especially those not engaged in physical activity [39][40][41]. Other Polish research showed the same trend of skipping breakfast by adult Poles [42].…”

Increasing Physical Activity at School Improves Physical Fitness of Early Adolescents

“…An additional condition influencing children's PF, besides the number of PE lessons at school, is the frequency of PA undertaken during leisure time. It was also measured and described by the authors of this study in another paper [70]. It was observed that, starting from a similar level in both GC and SC groups the frequency of PA during leisure time increased in the SC and decreased in GC during the course of the study.…”

“…Children's extracurricular sporting activities was assessed only in part as the frequency of leisure time PA. The results were presented in a previous paper [70]. However, the direct and detailed measurement of sport activities during leisure time was not measured.…”

Participating in a School-Integrated Daily Exercise Program Improves Motor Performance Significantly in School-Children

“…Apart from the apparent reason for the observed effects, i.e., the additional physical activity in the EG, another factor may also play a role. It can be speculated that participation in daily exercise and performing fun movement impulses during every lesson every day for the intervention period of one year leads to a higher personal affinity to exercise and, therefore, being physically more active outside the school setting as well [ 42 ]. It would be especially desirable if this effect could be achieved with children that would otherwise not have considered sports and exercise a leisure activity, thereby creating a positive trajectory towards a healthier lifestyle.…”