title: Increasing children's physical activity during school recess periods.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined whether schools' participation in the Recess Enhancement Program (REP) in the spring of 2011 was associated with higher rates of children's vigorous physical activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  In REP, a coach guides children through age-appropriate games aimed at increasing their physical activity. During recess at 25 New York City public elementary schools (15 REP, 10 non-REP), researchers visually scanned predetermined areas (n = 1339 scans), recording the number of sedentary, walking, and very active children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate statistical analysis found that participation in REP was a significant predictor (P = .027) of the rate of vigorous physical activity (percentage very active in scan area) whose least-squares means were 41% in REP schools and 27% in non-REP schools. A significantly higher rate in REP schools persisted when the coach was not in the scan area, suggesting a change in the recess culture of REP schools.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rate of vigorous physical activity in REP schools was 14 percentage points, or 52%, higher than the rate in non-REP schools. This low-cost intervention might be a valuable addition to the tools for combating childhood obesity and worth replicating elsewhere.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urban Affairs and Planning, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA. john.chin@hunter.cuny.edu
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ludwig
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City; D011998:Recreation / Q000502:physiology*; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D016138:Walking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044465:White People