Investigating the impact of physical activity on BMI, motor skills, and sleep patterns in elementary school children
Abstract
Objective: This research examines how interschool physical activity (PA) interventions affect children's BMI, motor skills, and sleep behaviors.
Methods: In this investigation, a stratified random sampling method was implemented to choose 40 physically and mentally healthy fifth-grade students (average age of 10.72 ± 0.56 years) from an elementary school in Tianjin, China, after stratification by gender, randomly divided into experimental group (EG, n = 20, 10 boys and 10 girls) and control groups (CG, n = 20, 10 boys and 10 girls). The EG participated in 320 min of physical activity (PA) weekly, comprising 200 min of standard physical education classes and 120 min of supplementary intervention activities. The CG adhered to the standard timetable, consisting of 200 min of physical education and 120 min of non-PA weekly. BMI, motor skills (evaluated through standardized assessments like the 50 m run, 50 m × 8 back-and-forth run, 1-min jump rope, sit-and-reach and 1-min sit-ups), PA (moderate- to-vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) and sedentary time), and sleep patterns (duration and efficiency) were measured at weeks 0, 6, and 12.
Results: After the intervention, the BMI of the EG was significantly reduced by 0.26 kg/m2 (p p p p p p < 0.01). No significant variations were observed in any of these indicators within the CG. Concerning gender differences, boys and girls in the EG displayed similar trends in BMI, motor skills, PA levels, and sleep quality, with no notable differences.…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 20 participants or records.
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