Relationship Between Recess Physical Activity Levels and the Built Environment

Background/Purpose: A study from the Center for Health Improvement (2005) reveals a clear link between childhood obesity and environmental variables, such as an absence of safe outdoor play areas. Regular physical activity elicits important health benefits, reduces risk for obesity and is linked with enhanced academic performance among students (Trost, 2009).  It is recommended that children engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week, yet fewer than half of children ages 6 to 11 meet that recommendation (Surgeon General, 2001). The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) recommends that all elementary school students have at least 20 minutes of recess each day (NASPE, 2008).  The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among elementary students’ physical activity steps and time via pedometry during recess with the recess design layout. 

Method: Recess physical activity levels were calculated via pedometry on 388, 3^rd-5^th grade students, at three (1 public, 2 private) schools in the Southeastern US.  Students participated in 10 consecutive school days during recess. Google Earth Pro was used to provide an estimate of the playground spatial area (ft²) at each of the schools using aerial pictures of the playground and the polygon measurement tool.  The public school was the only school designated with a playground facility, while the two private schools (Pr1 and Pr2) only had limited equipment on a paved area with lines painted on the ground.

Analysis/Results: Results indicate that students with less structure were more physically active during recess. Students from the schools with no playground facilities and limited equipment averaged 53.7 and 47.7 steps/minute, respectively, compared to 44.9 steps per minute for the school with playground facilities available.  Pr1 had the most steps per minute and had the smallest space available (60,825.4 ft²), but with various lines painted on the ground that each student was familiar with. Pr2 was also smaller than the public school (67,728.7 ft²) with even more limited lines and equipment, but still achieved higher steps per minute than the public school (78,841.3 ft²).   

Conclusions: Despite the notion that more is better, this study indicates that having more equipment for recess does not indicate more physical activity. Including providing ample recess time, strategies to improve activity include supplying equipment, decorating and designating space, and providing appropriate supervision.  Schools that use these strategies may have more active students (Verstraete et al. 2006).