scholarly journals Children's Use of Electronic Games: Choices of Game Mode and Challenge Levels

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy H. P. Sit ◽  
Jessica W. K. Lam ◽  
Thomas L. McKenzie
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Free Choice ◽  
Choice Theory ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Interactive Games ◽  
Activity Intensity ◽  
Electronic Games

Introduction. Interactive electronic games are popular and are believed to contribute to physical activity accrual. The purpose of this study was to examine children's electronic game use during conditions in which they had free access to selecting interactive and seated screen-based versions of electronic games and during the interactive versions had free choice in making adjustments to the activity intensity.Methods. We systematically observed 60 Hong Kong primary school children during two 60-minute game sessions while simultaneously recording their game mode choices and physical activity levels using SOFIT (System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time).Results. When given free choice, children spent more than half of their available time participating in interactive versions of games. These versions of games provided significantly more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and greater energy expenditure than the computer screen versions. Children with the opportunity to modify intensity levels spent more time playing the interactive versions and accrued more physical activity.Conclusions. The tenets of behavioral choice theory were supported. Access to new-generation interactive games, particularly those with modifiable intensity levels, may facilitate children's participation in physical activity.

Direct Observation of Children’s Preferences and Activity Levels During Interactive and Online Electronic Games

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 484-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy H.P. Sit ◽  
Jessica W.K. Lam ◽  
Thomas L. McKenzie
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Overweight Children ◽  
Interactive Games ◽  
Session Time ◽  
Hong Kong Chinese Children ◽  
Electronic Games ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Children’S Physical Activity

Background:Interactive electronic games have recently been popularized and are believed to help promote children’s physical activity (PA). The purpose of the study was to examine preferences and PA levels during interactive and online electronic games among overweight and nonoverweight boys and girls.Methods:Using a modification of the SOFIT, we systematically observed 70 Hong Kong Chinese children (35 boys, 35 girls; 50 nonoverweight, 20 overweight), age 9 to 12 years, during 2 60-minute recreation sessions and recorded their game mode choices and PA levels. During Session One children could play either an interactive or an online electronic bowling game and during Session Two they could play an interactive or an online electronic running game.Results:Children chose to play the games during 94% of session time and split this time between interactive (52%) and online (48%) versions. They engaged in significantly more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during interactive games than their online electronic versions (70% vs. 2% of game time). Boys and nonoverweight children expended relatively more energy during the interactive games than girls and overweight children, respectively.Conclusions:New-generation interactive games can facilitate physical activity in children, and given the opportunity children may select them over sedentary versions.

scholarly journals Objectively assessed moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels among primary school children in Norway: The Health Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP)

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (21_suppl) ◽  
pp. 38-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Hai Deng ◽  
Per Morten Fredriksen
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Linear Regression ◽  
Primary School ◽  
School Children ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Participation Rate ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Physical Activity Levels

Aims: The objective was to investigate moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels (MVPA) of primary school children at baseline of the Health Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP), Norway. Methods: Data on 2123 children aged 6–12 years were included for analysis (75% participation rate). Average minutes per day in MVPA was objectively measured using accelerometry based on seven-day averages. The sample was analysed for age-, sex-, socioeconomic-, and season-related patterns. A linear regression investigated the moderating effect of these factors as well as body mass index and waist circumference. Results: Some 86.5% of the sample had at least 60 min/day MVPA, averaging 90.7 min/day. The main differences in daily averages were between age groups 6½–9 and 10–12 ( p < .05). Boys (95.8 min/day, 95% CI: 94.1–97.5) were more active than girls (85.6 min/day, 95% CI: 83.9–87.2) in all age groups ( p < .0001). MVPA was lower by 3.5 min ( p < .0001) per additional year of age in the linear regression (R2 = 0.176) and was reduced by 20 min less per day in MVPA in the winter months compared with the summer months ( p < .0001). Conclusions: Physical activity levels are already in decline from 6–7 years old and are likely to continue to decline into adolescence. Interventions must therefore focus on primary school children.

Physical activity during school recess: A missed opportunity to be active?

2019 ◽  
Vol 78 (8) ◽  
pp. 988-999
Author(s):  
Pablo Tercedor ◽  
Víctor Segura-Jiménez ◽  
Manuel Ávila García ◽  
Francisco Javier Huertas-Delgado
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Sedentary Time ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Activity Intensity ◽  
Physical Activity Levels ◽  
Physical Activity Recommendations ◽  
School Recess ◽  
Activity Recommendations

Objective:The goals of this study were to (1) describe physical activity levels during school recess in 8-year-old children, (2) analyse the percentage of children who achieved physical activity recommendation at recess, and (3) examine if recess physical activity levels varied by gender, weight status, and parental educational level.Methods:In all, 291 children (mean age ±  SD = 8.3 ± 0.3 years, 156 boys) from 7 schools of Granada (Spain) were recruited by convenience. To analyse sedentary time and physical activity levels during recess, children wore a tri-axial accelerometer attached to the wrist over five consecutive school days.Results:Sedentary time (29.6% vs 40%) and light physical activity (33.2% vs 35.5%) were lower in boys than in girls (all p < .001). Conversely, moderate physical activity (26.7% vs 20%), vigorous physical activity (10.5% vs 4.4%) and moderate-vigorous physical activity (37.2% vs 24.4%) were higher in boys than in girls (all p < .001). Only 12% of the children accomplished the moderate-vigorous physical activity recommendations during recess (21.2% boys vs 1.5% girls). Lower body mass index values were associated with higher vigorous physical activity intensity.Conclusions:Levels of moderate-vigorous physical activity during school recess are very low in children, being lower in girls than in boys, a very low percentage of children achieve moderate-vigorous physical activity recommendations during school recess, and girls and overweight/obese children show lower values in moderate-vigorous and vigorous physical activity.

scholarly journals Physical Activity Levels in Physical Education Lessons at Singapore Primary School

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-123
Author(s):  
Nur Syahida Binte Jamaluddin ◽  
Masato Kawabata
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Dominant Hand ◽  
Physical Activity Intensity ◽  
Activity Intensity ◽  
Physical Activity Levels

Physical education (PE) lessons are the appropriate occasions to promote physical activity for children. Although the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels during PE lessons were investigated in several countries, MVPA levels during PE lessons were never reported at Singapore primary schools. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate physical activity intensity levels during PE lessons at a Singapore primary school. A total of 93 students (40 girls) voluntary participated in the study: 28 in Grade 1, 39 in Grade 4, and 26 in Grade 6. They were asked to wear an accelerometer on their non-dominant hand in two PE lessons to measure physical activity levels objectively. They also completed questionnaires on their experiences during the PE lessons. The average of the MVPA levels time (%) in the scheduled lesson time across the three grades was 46.98 ± 5.25%, but the average of the MVPA levels time (%) in the actual lesson time was 69.74 ± 7.31%. These results indicated that it would be possible to achieve the recommended MVPA time in PE lessons. The findings of this study would be useful for PE teachers to reflect whether their PE lessons are efficient to promote primary school student’s physical activity levels.

scholarly journals Understanding Youths’ Ability to Interpret 3D-Printed Physical Activity Data and Identify Associated Intensity Levels: Mixed-Methods Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Graeme Morgan Crossley ◽  
Melitta Anne McNarry ◽  
Michael Rosenberg ◽  
Zoe R Knowles ◽  
Parisa Eslambolchilar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Physical Activity Intensity ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
Activity Intensity

BACKGROUND A significant proportion of youth in the United Kingdom fail to meet the recommended 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day. One of the major barriers encountered in achieving these physical activity recommendations is the perceived difficulty for youths to interpret physical activity intensity levels and apply them to everyday activities. Personalized physical activity feedback is an important method to educate youths about behaviors and associated outcomes. Recent advances in 3D printing have enabled novel ways of representing physical activity levels through personalized tangible feedback to enhance youths’ understanding of concepts and make data more available in the everyday physical environment rather than on screen. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this research was to elicit youths’ (children and adolescents) interpretations of two age-specific 3D models displaying physical activity and to assess their ability to appropriately align activities to the respective intensity. METHODS Twelve primary school children (9 boys; mean age 7.8 years; SD 0.4 years) and 12 secondary school adolescents (6 boys; mean age 14.1 years; SD 0.3 years) participated in individual semistructured interviews. Interview questions, in combination with two interactive tasks, focused on youths’ ability to correctly identify physical activity intensities and interpret an age-specific 3D model. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, content was analyzed, and outcomes were represented via tables and diagrammatic pen profiles. RESULTS Youths, irrespective of age, demonstrated a poor ability to define moderate-intensity activities. Moreover, children and adolescents demonstrated difficulty in correctly identifying light- and vigorous-intensity activities, respectively. Although youths were able to correctly interpret different components of the age-specific 3D models, children struggled to differentiate physical activity intensities represented in the models. CONCLUSIONS These findings support the potential use of age-specific 3D models of physical activity to enhance youths’ understanding of the recommended guidelines and associated intensities.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Visualizing Physical Activity as a 3D-Printed Object: Formative Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Graeme Morgan Crossley ◽  
Melitta Anne McNarry ◽  
Joanne Hudson ◽  
Parisa Eslambolchilar ◽  
Zoe Knowles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
3D Printing ◽  
3D Model ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
Physical Activity Guidelines ◽  
Technological Advances

BACKGROUND The UK government recommends that children engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for at least 60 min every day. Despite associated physiological and psychosocial benefits of physical activity, many youth fail to meet these guidelines partly due to sedentary screen-based pursuits displacing active behaviors. However, technological advances such as 3D printing have enabled innovative methods of visualizing and conceptualizing physical activity as a tangible output. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to elicit children’s, adolescents’, parents’, and teachers’ perceptions and understanding of 3D physical activity objects to inform the design of future 3D models of physical activity. METHODS A total of 28 primary school children (aged 8.4 [SD 0.3] years; 15 boys) and 42 secondary school adolescents (aged 14.4 [SD 0.3] years; 22 boys) participated in semistructured focus groups, with individual interviews conducted with 8 teachers (2 male) and 7 parents (2 male). Questions addressed understanding of the physical activity guidelines, 3D model design, and both motivation for and potential engagement with a 3D physical activity model intervention. Pupils were asked to use Play-Doh to create and describe a model that could represent their physical activity levels (PAL). Data were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed, and key emergent themes were represented using pen profiles. RESULTS Pupils understood the concept of visualizing physical activity as a 3D object, although adolescents were able to better analyze and critique differences between low and high PAL. Both youths and adults preferred a 3D model representing a week of physical activity data when compared with other temporal representations. Furthermore, all participants highlighted that 3D models could act as a motivational tool to enhance youths’ physical activity. From the Play-Doh designs, 2 key themes were identified by pupils, with preferences indicated for models of abstract representations of physical activity or bar charts depicting physical activity, respectively. CONCLUSIONS These novel findings highlight the potential utility of 3D objects of physical activity as a mechanism to enhance children’s and adolescents’ understanding of, and motivation to increase, their PAL. This study suggests that 3D printing may offer a unique strategy for promoting physical activity in these groups.

scholarly journals The Influence of Physical Education Lesson Context and Teacher Behaviour on Student Physical Activity in Mexico (La influencia del contexto de la clase de Educación física y de los comportamientos docentes en la actividad física de los alumnos en México)

Retos ◽  
2015 ◽  
pp. 160-164
Author(s):  
Hoda Gharib ◽  
Karla Galavíz ◽  
Rebecca E. Lee ◽  
Margarita Safdie ◽  
Lizbeth Tolentino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Free Play ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Physical Activity Intensity ◽  
Game Play ◽  
Teacher Behaviour ◽  
Activity Intensity ◽  
Lesson Context

Abstract. Objective: To explore the influence of physical education (PE) lesson context and teacher behaviour on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in Mexican children during PE class. Methods: Trained observers rated the physical activity intensity (lying down, sitting, standing, walking, vigorous movement) of 232 students from grades 3 to 5, PE lesson context (management, general knowledge, fitness knowledge, fitness, skill practice, game play, free play), and teacher behaviour (promoting fitness, demonstrating, instructing, observing, managing, other task) during PE class in 20 public elementary schools in Mexico City using the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT). Regressions with backward elimination were conducted. Results: Class duration was on average 33.6 minutes (SD=7.9). Boys (M=14.8 min, SD=6.8) spent more time in MVPA than girls (M=12.6 min, SD=6.1; p<.01). For boys, a model including game play (b= 1.04, p<.001), skill practice (b=.54, p<.01), and fitness (b =.53, p<.05) explained 45% of the variance in MVPA (p<.05). For girls, a model including fitness (b= .49, p<.05), fitness knowledge (b= .19, p<.05), and other task (b=.35, p<.05) explained 38% of the variance in MVPA (p<.05). Conclusion: Strategies and policies aimed at improving child physical activity levels during PE class should endorse the effective instruction and execution of fitness, game play, skill practice and PE lesson contexts.Resumen. Objetivo: Explorar la influencia del contexto de las clases de educación física (EF) y el comportamiento del maestro en la actividad física moderada-vigorosa (AFMV) en niños mexicanos. Métodos: Usando el método Sistema de Observación del Tiempo de Instrucción de la condición Física (SOFIT). Observadores entrenados midieron la intensidad de la actividad física (acostado, sentado, de pie, caminando, movimiento vigoroso) de 232 estudiantes de 3ro a 5to grado, el contexto de la clase, (gestión, conocimiento general, conocimiento de la condición física, condición física, práctica de habilidades, juego, juego libre), y el comportamiento del maestro (promoción de la condición física, demostración, instrucción, observación, gestión, otra tarea) durante la clase de EF en 20 escuelas públicas de educación primaria de la ciudad de México mediante el SOFIT. Se llevaron a cabo regresiones múltiples. Resultados: La duración promedio de las clases observadas fue de 33,6 minutos (DE = 7,9). Los niños (M = 14,8 min, DE = 6,8) pasaron más tiempo en AFMV que las niñas (M = 12,6 min, DE = 6,1; p <0,01). En niños, el tiempo de clase dedicado al juego (β= 1.04, p <.001), la práctica de habilidades (β = .54, p <.01) y la condición física (β = .53, p <.05) explico el 45% de la varianza en AFMV (p <.05). En niñas, el tiempo de clase dedicado a la condición física (β= .49, p <.05), al conocimiento sobre la condición física (β= .19, p <.05), y otras tarea (β= .35, p <.05) explico  el 38% de la varianza en AFMV (p <.05).Para los niños, un modelo incluyendo el juego (b = 1,04, p <0,001), el desarrollo de habilidades prácticas (b = 0,54, p <0,01), y la condición física (b = 0,53, p <0,05) explicaron el 45% de la varianza en AFMV (p <0,05). Para las niñas, un modelo incluyendo la condición física (b = 0,49, p <0,05), el conocimiento de la condición física (b = 0,19, p <0,05), y otras tarea (b = 0,35, p <0,05) explican el 38% de la varianza en AFMV (p <0,05). Conclusión: Las estrategias y políticas encaminadas a la mejora de los niveles de actividad física de los niños durante la clase de EF deben suscribir la enseñanza efectiva y la promoción de la condición física, el juego, y el desarrollo de las habilidades prácticas.

scholarly journals The Tangibility of Personalized 3D-Printed Feedback May Enhance Youths’ Physical Activity Awareness, Goal Setting, and Motivation: Intervention Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Graeme Morgan Crossley ◽  
Melitta Anne McNarry ◽  
Parisa Eslambolchilar ◽  
Zoe Knowles ◽  
Kelly Alexandra Mackintosh
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Goal Setting ◽  
3D Model ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
The Government

BACKGROUND In the United Kingdom, most youth fail to achieve the government guideline of 60 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) daily. Reasons that are frequently cited for the underachievement of this guideline include (1) a lack of awareness of personal physical activity levels (PALs) and (2) a lack of understanding of what activities and different intensities contribute to daily targets of physical activity (PA). Technological advances have enabled novel ways of representing PA data through personalized tangible three-dimensional (3D) models. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of 3D-printed models to enhance youth awareness and understanding of and motivation to engage in PA. METHODS A total of 39 primary school children (22 boys; mean age 7.9 [SD 0.3] years) and 58 secondary school adolescents (37 boys; mean age 13.8 [SD 0.3] years) participated in a 7-week fading intervention, whereby participants were given 3D-printed models of their previous week’s objectively assessed PALs at 4 time points. Following the receipt of their 3D model, each participant completed a short semistructured video interview (children, 4.5 [SD 1.2] min; adolescents, 2.2 [SD 0.6] min) to assess their PA awareness, understanding, and motivation. Data were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed to enable key emergent themes to be further explored and identified. RESULTS Analyses revealed that the 3D models enhanced the youths’ awareness of and ability to recall and self-evaluate their PA behaviors. By the end of the study, the youths, irrespective of age, were able to correctly identify and relate to the government’s PA guideline represented on the models, despite their inability to articulate the government's guideline through time and intensity. Following the fourth 3D model, 72% (71/97) of the youths used the models as a goal-setting strategy, further highlighting such models as a motivational tool to promote PA. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that 3D-printed models of PA enhanced the youths’ awareness of their PA levels and provided a motivational tool for goal setting, potentially offering a unique strategy for future PA promotion.

scholarly journals An empirical example of analysis using a two-stage modeling approach: within-subject association of outdoor context and physical activity predicts future daily physical activity levels

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chih-Hsiang Yang ◽  
Jaclyn P Maher ◽  
Aditya Ponnada ◽  
Eldin Dzubur ◽  
Rachel Nordgren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Wearable Sensors ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Modeling Approach ◽  
Source Program ◽  
Modeling Strategy ◽  
Stage Modeling

Abstract People differ from each other to the extent to which momentary factors, such as context, mood, and cognitions, influence momentary health behaviors. However, statistical models to date are limited in their ability to test whether the association between two momentary variables (i.e., subject-level slopes) predicts a subject-level outcome. This study demonstrates a novel two-stage statistical modeling strategy that is capable of testing whether subject-level slopes between two momentary variables predict subject-level outcomes. An empirical case study application is presented to examine whether there are differences in momentary moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels between the outdoor and indoor context in adults and whether these momentary differences predict mean daily MVPA levels 6 months later. One hundred and eight adults from a multiwave longitudinal study provided 4 days of ecological momentary assessment (during baseline) and accelerometry data (both at baseline and 6 month follow-up). Multilevel data were analyzed using an open-source program (MixWILD) to test whether momentary strength between outdoor context and MVPA during baseline was associated with average daily MVPA levels measured 6 months later. During baseline, momentary MVPA levels were higher in outdoor contexts as compared to indoor contexts (b = 0.07, p &lt; .001). Participants who had more momentary MVPA when outdoors (vs. indoors) during baseline (i.e., a greater subject-level slope) had higher daily MVPA at the 6 month follow-up (b = 0.09, p &lt; .05). This empirical example shows that the subject-level momentary association between specific context (i.e., outdoors) and health behavior (i.e., physical activity) may contribute to overall engagement in that behavior in the future. The demonstrated two-stage modeling approach has extensive applications in behavioral medicine to analyze intensive longitudinal data collected from wearable sensors and mobile devices.

Physical activity levels during adventure-physical education lessons

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Gehris ◽  
Elizabeth Myers ◽  
Robert Whitaker
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Development ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Instruction Time ◽  
Physical Activity Levels ◽  
The Mean

Adventure-physical education has been proposed to promote adolescents’ physical development, but little is known about physical activity levels during such lessons. Using the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time, we observed students’ (ages 11–14 years) physical activity levels in co-educational classes during 43 adventure-physical education lessons at seven public schools. The mean percentage (±SD) of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was 28.3% (±16.3%). The greatest percentage of lesson time was spent in two activities—high elements (24.1% ± 36.5%) and initiatives (22.3% ± 32.4%). When data were aggregated across all lessons, 40.0% of the time in high elements and 13.7% of the time in initiatives was spent in MVPA. Of all MVPA time, 31.5% occurred in high elements and another 12.6% in initiatives. Compared with traditional physical education lessons, less time is spent in MVPA during adventure lessons. Efforts to increase MVPA should target high elements and initiative activities.

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