Where are Children Active and Does it Matter for Physical Activity? A Latent Transition Analysis

Abstract

Background Numerous studies have focused on the role of environments in promoting physical activity, but few studies have examined the specific locations where children are active and whether being active in these locations is associated with physical activity levels over time. Methods Self-reported locations of where physical activity occurred and physical activity measured via accelerometry were obtained for a cohort of 520 children in 5th and 6th grades. Latent class analysis was used to generate classes of children defined by the variety of locations where they were active (i.e., home, school grounds, gyms, recreational centers, parks or playgrounds, neighborhood, and church). Latent transition analyses were used to characterize how these latent classes change over time and to determine whether the latent transitions were associated with changes in physical activity levels. Results Two latent classes were identified at baseline with the majority of children in the class labeled as ‘limited variety’. Most children maintained their latent status over time. Physical activity levels declined for all groups, but significantly less so for children who maintained their membership in the ‘greater variety’ latent status. Conclusions Supporting and encouraging physical activity in a variety of locations may improve physical activity levels in children.

Longitudinal changes in moderate‐to‐vigorous‐intensity physical activity in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…Based on the review inclusion criteria and data availability, 521 studies were further excluded. Thus, 52 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the quantitative analysis representing a total sample of 22,091 children and adolescents (Figure ; PRISMA flow diagram). A subset of 31 studies with exactly 1 year of follow‐up data were included in the meta‐analysis.…”

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

“…The Physical Activity Choices (PAC) instrument was used to assess participation in specific types of physical activities, whether the activities took place during and/or outside school (ie, temporal context), with whom these activities were done (ie, social context), and locations where the activities took place. As previously reported the PAC was adapted from the Three Day Physical Activity Recall (3DPAR) instrument . Unlike the 3DPAR, which required participants to report engagement in physical activity during specific time blocks, the PAC asked participants to report any participation in a given activity during the past 5 days (eg, “Between [5 days ago] and today did you do the following activity…”).…”

Greenspace, physical activity, and BMI in children from two cities in northern Mexico

“…We were also not able to assess time children spent in blue spaces like water on the coast of Ensenada. Identifying places where young children are most active is especially important to help inform intervention and policy efforts to increase physical activity (Colabianchi et al, 2016). Future studies focusing on low- and middle-income countries (like Mexico) should consider evaluating greenspace, blue space, and other locations such as parks and playgrounds where outdoor active play may be common for young children.…”