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Before-school running/walking club: Effects on student on-task behavior.

ABSTRACT: Before-school programs provide a good opportunity for children to engage in physical activity (PA) as well as improve their readiness to learn. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a before-school running/walking club on elementary school children's on-task behavior. The study employed a two-phase experimental design with an initial baseline phase followed by an alternating treatments phase, and was first conducted at a private school (School A) and subsequently replicated at a public school (School B). Participants were third and fourth grade children from two schools in the Southwestern U.S. who participated in a before-school running/walking club that met two times each week (School A: 20 min; School B: 15 min) during the 2013/2014 academic year. Participation in the program was monitored using pedometers and on-task behavior was assessed through direct observation. Data analyses included visual analysis, Tau-U index, and multilevel modeling. Results from all analyses indicated that on-task behavior was significantly higher on days the children attended the before-school program than on days they did not. According to multilevel modeling results, mean differences and effect sizes were: School A = 15.78%, pseudo-R (2) = .34 [strong effect]; School B = 14.26%, pseudo-R (2) = .22 [moderate effect]. Results provide evidence for the positive impact of before-school PA programs on children's classroom behavior and readiness to learn. Such programs do not take time away from academics and may be an attractive option for schools. Results also have implications for the structure of children's school day and the scheduling of PA opportunities.

SUBMITTER: Stylianou M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4929141 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Before-school running/walking club: Effects on student on-task behavior.

Stylianou Michalis M Kulinna Pamela Hodges PH van der Mars Hans H Mahar Matthew T MT Adams Marc A MA Amazeen Eric E

Preventive medicine reports 20160201

Before-school programs provide a good opportunity for children to engage in physical activity (PA) as well as improve their readiness to learn. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a before-school running/walking club on elementary school children's on-task behavior. The study employed a two-phase experimental design with an initial baseline phase followed by an alternating treatments phase, and was first conducted at a private school (School A) and subsequently replicated at a ...[more]

PMID: 27419015

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Project description:BackgroundThe impact of high distraction, real-world environments on dual-task interference and flexibility of attentional prioritization during dual-task walking in people with stroke is unknown.Research questionHow does a real-world environment affect dual-task performance and flexible task prioritization during dual-task walking in adults with and without stroke?MethodsAdults with stroke (n = 29) as well as age-, gender-, and education-matched adults without stroke (n = 23) participated. Single and dual-task walking were examined in two different environments (lab hallway, hospital lobby). Two different dual-task combinations were assessed (Stroop-gait, speech-gait). Each dual-task was performed first without explicit instruction about task prioritization (no-priority) and then with gait-priority instruction and Stroop/speech-priority instruction in randomized order.ResultsPeople with stroke had significantly slower dual-task gait speed (Stroop only) in the lobby than the lab, but the effect was not clinically meaningful. Stroop reaction time for all participants was also slower in the lobby than the lab. All participants slowed their walking speed while generating spontaneous speech, but this effect was not influenced by environment. The dual-task attention allocation strategy was generally inflexible to instructed prioritization in adults with and without stroke in both environments, however, the volitional attention allocation strategy differed for the two dual-task conditions such that speech was prioritized in the speech-gait dual-task and gait appeared to be prioritized in the Stroop-gait dual-task.SignificanceAlthough dual-tasking slows walking speed and verbal responses to auditory stimuli in people with stroke, the effects are not considerably impacted by a more complex, distracting environment. Adults with and without stroke may have difficulty overriding the preferred attention allocation strategy during dual-task walking, especially for habitual dual-tasks such as walking while speaking. It may also be that the cognitive control strategy governing task prioritization is influenced by degree of cognitive engagement.

Project description:INTRODUCTION:The effects of Build Our Kids Success-a 12-week, 1-hour before-school physical activity program-on BMI and social-emotional wellness among kindergarten to eighth grade students was examined. STUDY DESIGN:This was a nonrandomized trial. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS:Participants were from 24 schools in Massachusetts; there were 707 children from kindergarten to eighth grade. INTERVENTION:Children registered for Build Our Kids Success in 2015-2016 participated in a 2 days/week or 3 days/week program. Nonparticipating children served as controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:At baseline and 12 weeks, study staff measured children's heights/weights; children aged ≥8 years completed surveys. Main outcomes were 12-week change in BMI z-score, odds of a lower BMI category at follow-up, and child report of social-emotional wellness. Analyses were completed in March-June 2017. RESULTS:Follow-up BMI was obtained from 67% of children and self-reported surveys from 72% of age-eligible children. Children in the 3 days/week group had improvements in BMI z-score (-0.22, 95% CI= -0.31, -0.14) and this mean change was significantly different than the comparison group (-0.17 difference, 95% CI= -0.27, -0.07). Children in the 3 days/week group also had higher odds of being in a lower BMI category at follow-up (OR=1.35, 95% CI=1.12, 1.62); significantly different than the comparison group (p<0.01). Children in the 2 days/week program had no significant changes in BMI outcomes. Children in the 3 days/week group demonstrated improvement in their student engagement scores (0.79 units, p=0.05) and had nonsignificant improvements in reported peer relationships, affect, and life satisfaction versus comparison. The 2 days/week group had significant improvements in positive affect and vitality/energy versus comparison. CONCLUSIONS:A 3 days/week before-school physical activity program resulted in improved BMI and prevented increases in child obesity. Both Build Our Kids Success groups had improved social-emotional wellness versus controls. TRIAL REGISTRATION:This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT03190135.

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Before-school running/walking club: Effects on student on-task behavior.

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Before-school running/walking club: Effects on student on-task behavior.

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