ArticlePloS one2023
Comparison of children's physical activity profiles before and after COVID-19 lockdowns: A latent profile analysis.
Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder and Health-Determining Behaviors: Assessing Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Sleep with the National Survey of Children's Health.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2026Article
- Changes in School-Based Physical Activity and Well-Being Among Adolescents Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Primary school physical activity culture in the UK: findings from a four-month rapid ethnography in three schools.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Physical Activity and Screen Time Trends in Swedish Youth: The Generation Pep Study 2018-2023.Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) · 2025Article
- Article
- "Sport is NOT a luxury." The perceived impact of the cost-of-living crisis on sport and physical activity opportunities for children and adolescents in Northern Ireland (NI): A cross-sectional survey.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Article
- Long COVID in Children and Adolescents: Mechanisms, Symptoms, and Long-Term Impact on Health-A Comprehensive Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Raising active children: how family and school shape health-promoting physical activity-findings from the FAMIPASS study.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Article
- Physical activity interventions in European primary schools: a scoping review to create a framework for the design of tailored interventions in European countries.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- The status of active after-school clubs among primary school children in England (UK) after the COVD-19 lockdowns: implications for policy and practice.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Physical activity is important for children's health, but moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) declines with age. COVID-19 lockdowns resulted in reduced MVPA and increased sedentary time among children. Characterising children's activity patterns may help identify groups who are most likely to be inactive post-lockdown. Data were combined from a pre-COVID-19 cohort study on children aged 5-6 years (Year1: n = 1299), 8-9 years (Year4: n = 1223) and 10-11 years (Year6: n = 1296) and cross-sectional post-lockdown data from a natural experiment on 10-11-year-olds in 2021 (Year6-W1: n = 393) and 2022 (Year6-W2: n = 436). The proportions of time spent in MVPA, light physical activity (LPA) and sedentary time on weekdays and weekends were derived from accelerometer data. Latent class analysis was used to identify activity profiles pre and post-lockdown, and estimate pre-COVID-19 transitions between Year4 and Year6. We identified six pre-COVID-19 activity profiles in Year6, including a new profile characterised by very low MVPA and high sedentary time (19% of children). There was substantial movement between profiles at Year4 and Year6, with 45% moving to a profile with lower MVPA. Likelihood ratio tests suggested differences in Year6 activity profiles pre and post-lockdown, with a new post-lockdown profile emerging characterised by higher LPA. The percentage of children in the least active profiles (where under 20% meet UK physical activity guidelines), rose post-lockdown, from 34% pre-COVID-19 to 50% in 2021 and 40% in 2022. We also saw gender and socioeconomic gaps widen, and increased separation between high and low physical activity levels. Children's physical activity has changed post-COVID-19, in terms of who is being active and how. The impact varies by activity profile, which is influenced by gender and socio-economic position. A greater understanding of these differences and targeting of low active groups is needed to increase both individual and population levels of physical activity.
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