Best friends ‘boost kids’ physical activity’
January 19th, 2011 - 2:44 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Jan 19 (ANI): A new research has found that boys and girls who take part in physical activity with their best friend in the neighbourhood where they live have higher levels of physical activity.
The study examined the extent to which the physical activity modelling and physical activity actions of best friends are associated with the physical activity of 10- to 11-yr-old children.
Data were collected for 986 children of whom 472 provided complete physical activity and best friend data. Participants identified their “best friend” within the school and answered how often they took part in physical activity with the friend and if the friend had encouraged them to be active.
Physical activity was assessed via accelerometer for all children and friends. Mean minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day (Mean MVPA) and mean accelerometer counts per minute (Mean CPM) were obtained for all children and best friends. Regression models were run separately for boys and girls and used to examine associations between child and best friend physical activity.
“Our findings show that supporting physical activity among friendship groups and encouraging friends to be active together, particularly outside of school, may bring about important changes to children’s physical activity,” said Dr Russ Jago, Reader in the Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, School for Policy Studies.
For girls, mean MVPA was associated with frequency of activity of the best friend and engaging in physical activity at home or in the neighbourhood, with similar patterns for mean CPM. Boys’ mean MVPA was associated with their best friend’s mean MVPA and being active at home or in the local neighbourhood.
The paper has been published online in ‘Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise’. (ANI)
- Parents don't need to be physically active to help children be active - May 26, 2010
- Dogs could be the key to getting sedentary teens off the couch - Feb 09, 2011
- Today's kids do engage in active play during leisure time - Mar 18, 2011
- Encourage kids to be active during leisure time - Mar 17, 2011
- Lack of exercise increases heart risk among kids - May 13, 2011
- Kids'' physical activity drops off between 9-15 - Jul 16, 2008
- "People will pay for what has been done to Pak," 7/7 mastermind indoctrinated pupil - Feb 15, 2011
- Starting school earlier lowers obesity risk: Study - Dec 15, 2010
- Environment can subdue kids' natural urge to exercise - Apr 22, 2010
- US Boy Scout, Girl Scout manuals give stereotypical ideas about gender - Apr 09, 2011
- Obesity depends on your society - Jul 12, 2011
- Lack of motivation, equipment decreases physical activity in boys - Mar 31, 2011
- More than 80 pct of disadvantaged preschoolers lack basic motor skills - Apr 27, 2010
- Inadequate sleep can make you fat - May 04, 2010
- Right friends matter most in middle school - Jan 13, 2011
Tags: accelerometer, amp, best friend, best friends, boys and girls, cpm, exercise nutrition, extent, friendship groups, health sciences school, jago, jan 19, medicine, neighbourhood, nutrition and health, participants, regression models, russ, science, vigorous physical activity