Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38238751›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2024

A natural experiment to assess recess frequency on children's physical activity in Arizona (U.S.) elementary schools.

Allison Poulos, Kylie Wilson, Marissa Schulke, Kahyun Nam, Punam Ohri-Vachaspati, Yang Bai, Pamela Hodges Kulinna

Erratum issuedOpen access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
4.3field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Allison PoulosCollege of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, ABC 222 425 North 5th Street, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA. allison.poulos@asu.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9645-7691
Kylie WilsonCollege of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, ABC 222 425 North 5th Street, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5066-4337
Marissa SchulkeCollege of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, ABC 222 425 North 5th Street, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1964-3949
Kahyun NamMary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6639-3797
Punam Ohri-VachaspatiCollege of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, ABC 222 425 North 5th Street, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9619-9816
Yang BaiDepartment of Health and Kinesiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6751-3896
Pamela Hodges KulinnaMary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0355-0695
Arizona State University · USUniversity of Utah · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn the United States, the number of state policies mandating recess in schools has rapidly increased over the past decade; however, few policies specify recess frequency. Informed by an ecological model of physical activity (PA) policy, this study examined and compared total amounts and intensity of PA expended during recess among children attending schools in compliance with Arizona recess policy ARS§ 15-118 mandating 2 + daily recess periods versus not.

methodsPA during recess was measured among grade three children (ages 8-10) in four randomly selected elementary schools (two complying averaging 30 daily recess minutes; two non-complying averaging 15 daily recess minutes) in Maricopa County, Arizona. Group-level PA was assessed by direct observation using the System for Observing Play and Leisure (137 observations). A subset of students (N = 134) from all schools wore ActiGraph GT3X + devices during recess to measure individual PA. General linear mixed effects models were used to analyze the impact of recess frequency on group and individual PA during recess.

resultsStudents attending complying schools spent significantly greater proportions of time in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) based on direct observation (5%) and accelerometry (15%) and less time being sedentary based on accelerometry (14%) during recess. Across the school day, this would equate to 5.1 more MVPA minutes based on systematic direct observation and 9.5 more MVPA minutes based on accelerometry, and 4.1 less minutes being sedentary based on accelerometry if students received two daily 15-minute recess periods compared to one.

conclusionsStudents attending elementary schools implementing 2 + recesses, in accordance with state policy, demonstrated greater MVPA and less sedentary time, providing preliminary evidence that recess frequency is associated with greater PA intensity among children during recess. Schools that adhere to state-level PA policies may provide a more supportive environment for PA, resulting in increased movement among students. Specifying recess frequency should be considered in statewide recess policy.

Indexed as

ExerciseSchoolsAccelerometryArizonaChildHumansLeisure ActivitiesAccelerometerDirect observationMovementPolicyRecess dose

Identifiers

PMID38238751
PMCPMC10797942
OpenAlexW4390986327

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.