title: Ready for recess: a pilot study to increase physical activity in elementary school children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Creating an optimal environment at recess may be necessary to maximize physical activity (PA) participation in youth. The purpose of this study was to determine the initial effectiveness of an elementary school recess intervention on the amount of moderate PA (MPA) and vigorous PA (VPA) during recess and the school day.
  
  
  METHODS
  This school-based intervention included staff training, activity zones, and playground equipment. The PA levels of third, fourth, and fifth grade students (n = 93) at two schools were measured at baseline and post-intervention using ActiGraph accelerometers. Paired t tests were used to compare percentage of time spent during recess in MPA and VPA. Multiple regressions were utilized to model the effect of intervention, age, sex, race, body mass index, and school on minutes spent in MPA and VPA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The multiple regression results demonstrated increases of 2.5 minutes of MPA (p < .001) and 2.2 minutes of VPA (p < .001) at recess and an increase of 18.7 minutes of MPA (p < .001) and 4.7 minutes of VPA (p < .001) during the school day. These represent respective increases of 51.2% and 112.2% in the adjusted means of MPA and VPA during recess and respective increases of 92.2% and 71.6% in the adjusted mean of MPA and VPA during school day.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Staff training, recreational equipment, and playground markings are inexpensive, simple ways to increase PA during recess so that children can accumulate minutes of PA to meet the recommended guidelines of 60 minutes per day.
authors.affiliation: Physical Activity in Health Promotion, Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department, University of Nebraska Omaha, 6001 Dodge St., Omaha, NE 68182, USA. jenniferwhite@mail.unomaha.edu
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Huberty
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siahpush
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beighle
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fuhrmeister
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Welk
mesh_terms: D056044:Actigraphy; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students