Physical Activity Levels and Sleep in Schoolchildren (6–17) with and without School Sport

Arkaitz Larrinaga-Undabarrena*, Xabier Río, Iker Sáez, Garazi Angulo-Garay, Aitor Martinez Aguirre-Betolaza, Neritzel Albisua, Gorka Martínez de Lahidalga Aguirre, José Ramón Sánchez Isla, Natalia García, Mikel Urbano, Myriam Guerra-Balic, Juan Ramón Fernández, Aitor Coca

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Indexed journal article Articlepeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

There is strong evidence to support the association between daily physical activity and sleep parameters in children and adolescents. Physical activity and outdoor play are favourably associated with most sleep outcomes in school children. The aim is to find out the levels of physical activity and the quality of sleep in Basque schoolchildren aged between six and seventeen and to analyse the possible differences between those who carry out some kind of physical sports activity and those who do not. The sample consisted of 1082 schoolchildren (50.1% male and 49.9% female). Differences between groups were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test (2 samples) and Kruskal–Wallis one-factor ANOVA (k samples). A total of 723 (66.94%) of the participants said they practiced some physical sports activity. The accelerometers obtained significant differences in all levels of physical activity, as well as in sleep efficiency, with higher levels of physical activity (sedentary p = 0.001; light p = 0.017; moderate p = 0.009; vigorous p = 0.001 and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity p = 0.002) and better sleep efficiency (p = 0.002) in those schoolchildren who perform some type of physical sports activity. A significant difference in time spent in sedentary activities was also observed between primary and secondary school pupils of both sexes and regardless of the degree of physical sports activity completion.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1263
JournalInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume20
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2023

Keywords

  • accelerometer
  • physical activity
  • school sport
  • schoolchildren
  • sedentary behaviour
  • sleep

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