Impact of Rain and School Policies on Kids' Physical Activity
Author Information
Author(s): Harrison Flo, Jones Andrew P, Bentham Graham, van Sluijs Esther MF, Cassidy AedÃn, Griffin Simon J
Primary Institution: University of East Anglia
Hypothesis
How does rainfall affect physical activity in 9-10 year old children, and how are these effects modified by school break time policies?
Conclusion
Rainfall is negatively associated with physical activity in primary school children, but providing indoor physical activities in wet weather may help children maintain physical activity levels irrespective of rainfall.
Supporting Evidence
- Children spent 9.4 minutes less in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on rainy days.
- Children were 13.6 minutes more sedentary on rainy days compared to dry days.
- Schools allowing indoor activities had children who were more active on wet days.
Takeaway
When it rains, kids play less outside, but if schools let them do fun activities indoors, they can stay active.
Methodology
Children wore accelerometers to measure physical activity over several days, and data on rainfall and school policies were collected.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to reliance on self-reported school policies and limited geographic representation.
Limitations
The study was conducted over a single season with unusual weather, limiting generalizability to other times of the year.
Participant Demographics
Participants were 9-10 year old children from 90 schools in Norfolk, UK, with a slightly higher proportion of girls (55%).
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Confidence Interval
95%CI 7.0 to 11.9
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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