The effect of an intervention on physical activity of moderate-and-vigorous intensity, and sedentary behavior during adolescents' time at school

Association between school environment with sedentary behavior and physical activity intensity in children

We examined the association between indicators of the school environment with sedentary behavior and different intensities of physical activity in children. The study that included 515 children (265 boys) aged 9-11 years old from public and private schools in the city of São Caetano do Sul. Sedentary behavior and different intensities of physical activity were evaluated with an accelerometer. Inside school environment (policies, supervision committee, extracurricular activities, breaks, and access to school facilities) was evaluated using a questionnaire. Policies and practice (β: 8.49; 95% CI: 3.62-13.36), supervision committee (5.42; 0.64-10.19), inter-school competitions (2.40, 2.25-2.55), breaks of 15-29 min/day (6.87; 2.20-10.75), and outdoor sports field (5.40; 0.37-10.44), were positively associated with moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity. Furthermore, crossing guards (7.65; 3.00-12.30) were positively associated with moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity. We concluded that an association was found between school environment indicators with higher levels of physical activity and greater odds of meeting physical activity guidelines.

Scoping Review on Interventions for Physical Activity and Physical Literacy Components in Brazilian School-Aged Children and Adolescents

This scoping review mapped the existing evidence on interventions to promote physical activity (PA) and/or components of physical literacy (PL) in Brazilian school-aged children and adolescents. Nine electronic databases and gray literature were consulted in May 2020, with no limit on year or language. School-based intervention studies (6 to 18 years old, primarily) that assessed PA or PL components (PA-related factors or attributes) were eligible. The studies were stratified by children (<12 years of age) and adolescents (≥12 years of age). A total of 63 documents were included, which refer to 42 different intervention studies. Twenty-five interventions focused on adolescents and 17 on children. The most-used strategies in the interventions were changes in physical and environmental education classes, extracurricular PA sessions, and health education. No study has analyzed all components of PL or evaluated PL using specific protocols or instruments. PA attributes were the most studied components (30 studies). This review identified the need to conduct interventions with strategies that target all components of PL, representing important elements for a research agenda that underlies school interventions that contribute to an active lifestyle.