The school effect on children's school time physical activity: the PEACH Project

Abstract

Objective: The school-setting is a potentially important environment for influencing children's physical activity. However limited research has focused on whether children's school-time physical activity is associated with the school they attend. This paper investigates the school effect on children's physical activity.

Method: Participants were 1307 pupils aged 10-11 years recruited from 23 primary schools in Bristol, UK during 2006-2008. Multilevel modelling (MLM) (MLwin 2.02) was used to asses between school differences in children's physical activity, measured using accelerometry (ActiGraph GT1M), adjusting for both individual and school variables.

Results: A significant school effect (p=0.001) was found accounting for 14.5% of the total variance in physical activity. Boys were significantly more active than girls (p<0.001), and the school attended accounted for a greater proportion of variance in boys' physical activity than girls' (23.4% vs. 12.2%). Seasonal variation and economic deprivation of the school neighbourhood were both significantly associated with children's school-time activity.

Conclusion: This paper highlights a significant school effect on children's physical activity providing evidence that the school attended should be accounted for in future analysis and supporting the use of MLM in this field. Further investigation is required to explain the differences in physical activity found between schools.