Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-27-2022
Publication Title
BMJ Open
Volume
12
Issue
10
First page number:
1
Last page number:
8
Abstract
Objectives To examine differences in rural community children’s moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and participation in out-of-school activities from fall 2019 to fall 2020 and explore enacted PA opportunity modifications post initial COVID-19 disruption.
Design Mixed methods study using the validated Youth Activity Profile (YAP), administrator reports and stakeholder surveys and semistructured interviews.
Setting Children and community stakeholders from one rural US Great Plains community in the state of Nebraska were recruited.
Participants Third through fifth graders in fall 2019 (n=144) and fall 2020 (n=174) reported MVPA and participation in out-of-school activities using the YAP. School administrators reported weekly physical education (PE) and recess minutes. Community stakeholders reported pandemic-related changes in community social structures in semistructured interviews (n=4) and surveys (n=19).
Results Average daily MVPA minutes increased from 2019 to 2020 (75.0 vs 81.3, SE=1.6, p
Conclusions Increased minutes of PE and recess, and decreased out-of-school activity participation may have increased children’s overall free play and MVPA during the pandemic. Free play was an important contributor to children’s PA during the pandemic and should be prioritised by educators, coaches and other leaders of child PA opportunities.
Controlled Subject
COVID-19 (Disease); Rural conditions; Exercise
Disciplines
Kinesiology | Nutrition
File Format
File Size
472 KB
Language
English
Rights
IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Publisher Citation
Kellstedt DK, Essay AM, Schenkelberg MA, et al. The COVID- 19 pandemic and changes in children’s physical activity in a rural US community: a mixed methods study. BMJ Open 2022;12:e062987. doi:10.1136/ bmjopen-2022-062987
Repository Citation
Kellstedt, D. K.,
Essay, A. M.,
Schenkelberg, M. A.,
Rosen, M. S.,
Seggern, M. J.,
Idoate, R.,
Welk, G. J.,
Rosenkranz, R. R.,
Dzewaltowski, D. A.
(2022).
The COVID-19 Pandemic and Changes in Children’s Physical Activity in a Rural US Community: A Mixed Methods Study.
BMJ Open, 12(10),
1-8.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062987
