School gate to dinner plate : sedentary and physically active behaviours in adolescents after school
Year: 2009
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Against a backdrop of rising overweight and obesity, there is a need to further our\nunderstanding of physical activity and sedentary behaviour patterns in young people to\naid the development of behaviour change strategies that may bring about an increase in\nenergy expenditure. Sedentary and active behaviours exhibit temporal patterning, thus\nit may be beneficial to examine behaviour and associations between behaviours during\nspecific periods of the day This thesis presents five studies that examine sedentary and\nphysically active behaviours in adolescents during the three hours immediately after\nschool. Chapter 2, using data from a large study of adolescents in the UK, describes\nphysical activity and sedentary behaviour patterns between 15.30h - 18.30h, and\nexamines the contribution of this period relative to broader leisure-time behaviour\npatterns. In chapter 3.1, the' associations between a broad range of sedentary\nbehaviours and objectively assessed physical activity are examined during the after\nschool hours, providing unique insight into the interactions between behaviours at this\ntime. Chapter 3.2 explores the social and environmental context of selected sedentary\nand active behaviours after school, enabling a more complete understanding of where\nand with whom young people spend their time during these hours. Chapter 4 is a\nsystematic literature review of interventions to increase physical activity in young\npeople conducted in the hours immediately after school. Together, the four studies\ndescribed above established a rationale and informed the content of a pilot family-based\nintervention to reduce screen-time and increase physical activity after school, presented\nin Chapter 5. Approximately 40% of adolescents' leisure-time physical activity occurs\nin the three hours immediately after school, suggesting that this is a critical period in\nwhich young people obtain a significant proportion of their daily leisure-time activity.\nHowever, sedentary behaviours, particularly screen-based media, account for the\nmajority of time-use during these hours, and may displace participation in physical\nactivity. The development of time-targeted intervention strategies, with a focus upon\nthe after school period, holds considerable promise for the promotion of physical\nactivity in young people.
Author: Andrew J. Atkin
Language: English
Topic: Physical Activity and Health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2302892355