Determinants of sufficient daily activity in Australian primary school children. Impact of prolonged sitting on vascular function in young girls. Compliance with the Australian national physical activity guidelines for children: relationship to overweight status. To remove or to replace traditional electronic games? A crossover randomised controlled trial on the impact of removing or replacing home access to electronic games on physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children aged 10–12 years Patterns of Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults Effect of intervention aimed at increasing physical activity, reducing sedentary behaviour, and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in children: Active for Life Year 5 (AFLY5) school based cluster randomised controlled trial A behaviour change intervention to reduce sedentary time in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: protocol for a randomised controlled trial. What are the most effective behaviour change techniques to promote physical activity and/or reduce sedentary behaviour in inactive adults? A systematic review protocol The effect of a healthy lifestyle programme on 8–9 year olds from social disadvantage ICAPS: a multilevel program to improve physical activity in adolescents. The Active for Life Year 5 (AFLY5) school based cluster randomised controlled trial: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial Effect of a school-based active play intervention on sedentary time and physical activity in preschool children.
AIMS Australian guidelines recommend that children participate in at least one hour of physical activity every day . We aim ed to measure physical activity  participation in a r and om sample of Australian primary school children and to determine the biological , behavioural , environmental and social influences associated with insufficient daily activity . METHOD We analysed the following cross-section data from a r and omly selected sample of children ( N=518 ) aged 5 to 12 years : age , gender , socioeconmic status ( SES ) indicators , family size , home play equipment availability , transport method to school , and estimated time per week in physical and sedentary activity . Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine variables that were associated with insufficient ( < 60 minutes ) daily activity . RESULTS Seventy-six children ( 15 % of the cohort ) failed to meet the minimum activity recommendations of 60 minutes of daily activity . These children were significantly less likely to walk or cycle to school ( adjusted odds ratio ( OR ) 0.43 ; 95 % CI=0.24 - 0.77 ) or participate in organised sports or activity ( OR 0.42 ; 95 % CI=0.28 - 0.64 ) and were more likely to spend in excess of 2 hours a day watching television of using a computer for entertainment ( OR 2.10 ( 1.16 - 3.78 ) . Age , gender , SES and family size were not significantly associated with insufficient activity . CONCLUSION There exists a significant proportion of the paediatric population who are insufficiently active . Interventions to encourage increased activity  in this sub-group may be successful if they seek to alter sedentary behaviour ( namely television use ) and method of transportation to and from school NEW FINDINGS What is the central question of this study ? Children are spending more than 60 % of their waking day sedentary . The consequences of excessive sedentary behaviour are not well understood in the child , but there is growing evidence that with increasing sedentary time , cardiovascular risk in childhood also increases . What is the main finding and its importance ? Our findings show that a 3 h period of uninterrupted sitting causes a profound ( 33 % ) reduction in vascular function in young girls . Importantly , we also demonstrate that breaking up sitting with regular exercise breaks can prevent this . Excessive sedentary behaviour has serious clinical and public health implication s ; however , the physiological changes that accompany prolonged sitting in the child are not completely understood . Herein , we examined the acute effect a prolonged period of sitting has upon superficial femoral artery function in 7- to 10-year-old girls and the impact of interrupting prolonged sitting with exercise breaks . Superficial femoral artery endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation , total shear rate , antero grade and retro grade shear rates and oscillatory shear index were assessed before and after two experimental conditions : a 3 h uninterrupted period of sitting ( SIT ) and a 3 h period of sitting interrupted each hour with 10 min of moderate-intensity exercise ( EX ) . A mixed-model analysis of variance was used to compare between-condition and within-condition main effects , controlling for the within-subject nature of the experiment by including r and om effects for participant . Superficial femoral artery endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation decreased significantly from pre- to post-SIT ( mean difference 2.2 % flow-mediated dilatation ; 95 % confidence interval = 0.60 - 2.94 % , P < 0.001 ) . This relative decline of 33 % was abolished in the EX intervention . Shear rates were not significantly different within conditions . Our data demonstrate the effectiveness of short but regular exercise breaks in off setting the detrimental effects of uninterrupted sitting in young girls Childhood obesity incidence has increased substantially and it has been argued that decreasing physical activity levels , coinciding with an increase in sedentary behaviours , are responsible . Australian guidelines were published in 2004 , recommending that children participate in a minimum of 60 min of physical activity daily and spend no more than 2h a day using electronic media for entertainment . We aim ed to compare compliance with these guidelines amongst children of differing weight status . The Childhood Injury Prevention Study ( CHIPS ) collected data from a r and omly selected sample of Brisbane primary and preschool children aged 5 - 12 years . The following data were available for 518 participants : age , gender , measured height and weight and estimated time per week from a parent-completed 7 days diary in physical activity out of school and sedentary leisure activities including television viewing and computer use . Using age st and ardised body mass index estimates , approximately 20 % of the cohort were overweight . Non-compliance with guidelines was 14.7 % for out of school physical activity participation , and 30.9 % for excess electronic media entertainment use . There was a 63 % increase in the odds of overweight status amongst children who were non-compliant with the electronic entertainment recommendations than those who were compliant ( adjusted odds ratio=1.63 ; 95 % CI=1.05 - 2.54 ) . Female gender and school level socioeconomic category were also independently associated with overweight status . Non-compliance with the minimal physical activity guideline increased the odds of being overweight by 28 % , however this difference was not statistically significant . One in seven children from the Greater Brisbane area are at risk for being insufficiently active whilst a third overuse electronic media . Given that overuse of electronic entertainment was positively associated with childhood obesity , these children should be the target of public health campaigns to promote alternative leisure time activities Objective To evaluate the impact of ( 1 ) the removal of home access to traditional electronic games or ( 2 ) their replacement with active input electronic games , on daily physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children aged 10–12 years . Design Crossover r and omised controlled trial , over 6 months . Setting Family homes in metropolitan Perth , Australia from 2007 to 2010 . Participants 10-year-old to 12-year-old children were recruited through school and community media . From 210 children who were eligible , 74 met inclusion criteria , 8 withdrew and 10 had insufficient primary outcome measures , leaving 56 children ( 29 female ) for analysis . Intervention A counterbalanced r and omised order of three conditions sustained for 8 weeks each : no home access to electronic games , home access to traditional electronic games and home access to active input electronic games . Main outcome measures Primary outcome was accelerometer assessed moderate/vigorous physical activity ( MVPA ) . Secondary outcomes included sedentary time and diary assessed physical activity and sedentary behaviours . Results Daily MVPA across the whole week was not significantly different between conditions . However , compared with home access to traditional electronic games , removal of all electronic games result ed in a significant increase in MVPA ( mean 3.8 min/day , 95 % CI 1.5 to 6.1 ) and a decrease in sedentary time ( 4.7 min/day , 0.0 to 9.5 ) in the after-school period . Similarly , replacing traditional games with active input games result ed in a significant increase in MVPA ( 3.2 min/day , 0.9 to 5.5 ) and a decrease in sedentary time ( 6.2 min/day , 1.4 to 11.4 ) in the after-school period . Diary reports supported an increase in physical activity and a decrease in screen-based sedentary behaviours with both interventions . Conclusions Removal of sedentary electronic games from the child 's home and replacing these with active electronic games both result ed in small , objective ly measured improvements in after-school activity and sedentary time . Parents can be advised that replacing sedentary electronic games with active electronic games is likely to have the same effect as removing all electronic games . Trial Registration Australia and New Zeal and Clinical Trials Registry ( ACTRN 12609000279224 Adults are sedentary for an alarming 9 to 10 hours per day ( 1 ) . Accordingly , the popular press has coined the phrase sitting is the new smoking to describe a current epidemic of developed nations ( 24 ) . Evidence indicates that sedentary time is associated with incident cardiovascular disease , incidence of cardiovascular diseaserelated risk factors , and mortality ( 5 , 6 ) . Of note , the risk conferred by prolonged sedentariness is eliminated only by high levels of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity ( MVPA ) ( about 60 to 75 min/d ) , which exceed physical activity recommendations ( 7 , 8) . As such , sedentary behavior is now believed to represent a clinical ly important aspect of a person 's physical activity profile and is no longer considered simply the extreme low end of the physical activity continuum ( 5 ) . Studies linking sedentary behavior to health outcomes have relied almost exclusively on self-reported  sedentary time  , which is subject to reporting bias and measurement error ( 9 ) . A 2015 systematic review ( 5 ) identified only 1 study ( NHANES [ National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey ] ) that examined the association between objective ly measured sedentary time and health outcomes , a study limited by a small event rate ( 10 ) . New studies using NHANES data have since been published , with longer follow-up and higher event rates ( 1115 ) . However , some of these studies have reported an association between objective ly measured sedentary time and mortality ( 11 , 14 , 15 ) , but others have not ( 12 , 13 ) . Additional cohort studies are thus needed to rectify evidence gaps . Furthermore , studies using accelerometers to objective ly measure sedentary behavior conventionally operationalize sedentary time as the total number of sedentary minutes per day . This approach ignores patterns of accumulated sedentary behavior over time . For example , accumulation of sedentary time in a few long bouts or many short bouts represents 2 distinct patterns of sedentary time accrual . Experimental studies have shown that acute periods of prolonged , uninterrupted sedentary behavior cause greater detrimental cardiometabolic effects than sedentary behavior that is periodically interrupted ( 1618 ) , suggestive that it is not just total sedentary time that is relevant to health outcomes , but also the manner in which it is accumulated . Few longitudinal studies , however , have explored the association between prolonged , uninterrupted sedentary behavior and mortality to corroborate these findings . To inform guidelines on reducing sedentary behavior ( target reductions in overall sedentary time or target interruption of prolonged sedentary bouts ) , evidence from prospect i ve studies is needed to 1 ) confirm the association between total sedentary time and mortality using objective measures , 2 ) determine whether prolonged sedentary bouts confer risk for death , and 3 ) eluci date whether the total volume of sedentary time and its pattern of accumulation individually or jointly contribute to risk for death . The purpose of this study , therefore , was to examine the association between objective ly measured sedentary time ( both total volume and accrual in prolonged bouts ) and all-cause mortality in a national cohort of U.S. middle-aged and older adults enrolled in the REGARDS ( Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke ) study . Methods Study Population REGARDS is a population -based study design ed to examine racial and regional disparities in stroke . It comprises 30239 white and black adults aged 45 years or older enrolled between 2003 and 2007 from across the contiguous United States ( 19 , 20 ) . Detailed design and methods for REGARDS are described elsewhere ( 21 ) . Briefly , demographic and cardiovascular risk factor data were collected by telephone interview and an in-home physical assessment on enrollment . A detailed summary of baseline measures is provided in the Supplement . Participants ( or their proxies ) were then followed for 6-month intervals to ascertain vital status . Objective measurements of sedentary behavior were collected from active REGARDS participants from 2009 to 2013 ( mean time from study enrollment , 5.7 years [ SD , 1.5 ] ; range , 1.9 to 9.5 years ) ( 22 ) . A total of 7985 participants adhered to accelerometer wear requirements ( 4 days with accelerometer wear 10 hours ) , provided follow-up data , and were available for the current analyses ( Supplement Figure 1 ) . Supplement Table 1 shows the characteristics of included versus excluded REGARDS participants . The REGARDS study protocol was approved by the institutional review boards of participating institutions . All participants provided informed consent . Supplement . Supplementary Material Accelerometer Data Collection Methods for accelerometer data collection are described elsewhere ( 22 ) . Briefly , participants were fitted with an Actical ( Philips Respironics ) accelerometer secured to their right hip using a nylon belt and were instructed to wear the device during waking hours for 7 consecutive days . The Actical had been vali date d formeasurement of physical activity and sedentary behavior and was shown to have acceptable reliability ( 2325 ) . Activity counts were summed over 1-minute epochs . Nonwear periods were defined as at least 150 consecutive minutes of 0 activity counts . This nonwear algorithm was previously vali date d against daily log sheets in REGARDS participants ( 26 ) . Measurements of 0 to 49 , 50 to 1064 , and at least 1065 counts per minute were defined as sedentary behavior , light-intensity physical activity , and MVPA , respectively , as determined in a laboratory-based calibration study ( 27 ) . A sedentary bout was defined as consecutive minutes in which the accelerometer registered fewer than 50 counts per minute . A sedentary break was defined as at least 1 minute in which 50 or more counts per minute were registered after a sedentary bout . Both sedentary bouts and breaks were exclusively continuous periods , with no interruptions or nonwear intervals allowed in the definition . Outcome Ascertainment All-cause mortality was the primary outcome , defined as any death after completion of the accelerometer protocol regardless of cause . Date s of death were confirmed through review of death certificates , medical records , and administrative data bases . Deaths through 4 September 2015 were included in the current analysis . Statistical Analysis Sedentary and physical activity variables were averaged across compliant days ( 10 hours of wear ) . Because of a high correlation between total sedentary time and wear time ( Supplement Figure 2 ) , we corrected for the influence of wear time by st and ardizing total sedentary time to 16 hours of wear time per day using the residuals obtained when regressing total sedentary time on wear time ( see Methods section of the Supplement ) ( 2830 ) . Participants were stratified into quartiles according to total sedentary time and , separately , mean sedentary bout duration ( a measure of overall prolonged , uninterrupted sedentary behavior ) . Cox proportional hazards regression modeling was used to calculate the hazard ratio ( HR ) for all-cause mortality associated with quartiles of total sedentary time ( and separately , mean sedentary bout length ) . Crude HRs were initially calculated . Subsequent HRs were calculated after adjustment for age , race , sex , region of residence , education , and season the accelerometer was worn ( model 1 ) , with further adjustment for current smoking , alcohol use , body mass index ( BMI ) , diabetes , hypertension , dyslipidemia , estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 , atrial fibrillation , history of coronary heart disease , and history of stroke ( model 2 ) . Models were additionally adjusted for MVPA expressed continuously ( model 3 ) . Tests for linear trend across quartiles were conducted by including the quartile for each participant as an ordinal variable in regression models . Proportional hazards assumptions were confirmed with a Kolmogorov-type supremum test ( 31 ) . The above analyses were then repeated in a fully adjusted model , testing interactions for age ( < 65 and 65 years ) , sex ( male and female ) , race ( black and white ) , BMI category ( normal weight and overweight or obese ) , and MVPA category ( < 150 min/wk and 150 min/wk ) . As a secondary analysis , we examined the continuous doseresponse relationship between each sedentary characteristic and all-cause mortality in a fully adjusted model ( model 3 ) using restricted cubic splines ( 32 ) . Cubic polynomials were fitted with the mean of each sedentary characteristic set as the reference and knots placed at the 5th , 35th , 65th , and 95th percentiles ( 33 ) . Nonlinear associations were evaluated using the likelihood ratio test . For nonlinear associations , spline models were used to describe the associations and when the association was determined to be linear , a linear model was used . Because of multicollinearity between total sedentary time and mean sedentary bout duration ( r= 0.61 ) , both variables were not included in the same model . Alternatively , to examine the individual and joint associations of total sedentary time and prolonged , uninterrupted sedentary behavior with mortality , participants were classified into 4 categories : low total sedentary time ( < 750 min/d ) and low prolonged sedentary bout time ( < 10 min/bout ) , low total sedentary time  and high prolonged sedentary bout time  ( 10 min/bout ) , high total sedentary time  ( 750 min/d ) and low prolonged sedentary bout time , and high total sedentary time and high prolonged sedentary bout time . Hazard ratios for all-cause mortality were calculated for each joint category in comparison with the lowlow group in a fully adjusted model ( model 3 ) . Thresholds for total sedentary time ( 750 min/d ) and mean sedentary bout duration ( 10 min/bout ) were selected on the basis of the restricted cubic splines and were confirmed using a method described by Contal and O'Quigley ( see Methods section of the Supplement ) ( 34 ) . To allow for the possibility that sedentary bouts Objective To investigate the effectiveness of a school based intervention to increase physical activity , reduce sedentary behaviour , and increase fruit and vegetable consumption in children . Design Cluster r and omised controlled trial . Setting 60 primary schools in the south west of Engl and . Participants Primary school children who were in school year 4 ( age 8 - 9 years ) at recruitment and baseline assessment , in year 5 during the intervention , and at the end of year 5 ( age 9 - 10 ) at follow-up assessment . Intervention The Active for Life Year 5 ( AFLY5 ) intervention consisted of teacher training , provision of lesson and child-parent interactive homework plans , all material s required for lessons and homework , and written material s for school newsletters and parents . The intervention was delivered when children were in school year 5 ( age 9 - 10 years ) . Schools allocated to control received st and ard teaching . Main outcome measures The pre-specified primary outcomes were accelerometer assessed minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day , accelerometer assessed minutes of sedentary behaviour per day , and reported daily consumption of servings of fruit and vegetables . Results 60 schools with more than 2221 children were recruited ; valid data were available for fruit and vegetable consumption for 2121 children , for accelerometer assessed physical activity and sedentary behaviour for 1252 children , and for secondary outcomes for between 1825 and 2212 children for the main analyses . None of the three primary outcomes differed between children in schools allocated to the AFLY5 intervention and those allocated to the control group . The difference in means comparing the intervention group with the control group was –1.35 ( 95 % confidence interval –5.29 to 2.59 ) minutes per day for moderate to vigorous physical activity , –0.11 ( –9.71 to 9.49 ) minutes per day for sedentary behaviour , and 0.08 ( –0.12 to 0.28 ) servings per day for fruit and vegetable consumption . The intervention was effective for three out of nine of the secondary outcomes after multiple testing was taken into account : self reported time spent in screen viewing at the weekend ( –21 ( –37 to –4 ) minutes per day ) , self reported servings of snacks per day ( –0.22 ( –0.38 to –0.05 ) ) , and servings of high energy drinks per day ( –0.26 ( –0.43 to –0.10 ) ) were all reduced . Results from a series of sensitivity analyses testing different assumptions about missing data and from per protocol analyses produced similar results . Conclusion The findings suggest that the AFLY5 school based intervention is not effective at increasing levels of physical activity , decreasing sedentary behaviour , and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in primary school children . Change in these activities may require more intensive behavioural interventions with children or upstream interventions at the family and societal level , as well as at the school environment level . These findings have relevance for research ers , policy makers , public health practitioners , and doctors who are involved in health promotion , policy making , and commissioning services . Trial registration Current Controlled Trials IS RCT N50133740 INTRODUCTION Replacing sedentary behaviour with light intensity physical activity ( ie , activities classified as less than three metabolic equivalents , such as slow-paced walking ) may be a more realistic strategy for reducing cardiometabolic risk in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than only aim ing to increase levels of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity . Behaviour change interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have not yet been developed or tested . RESEARCH QUESTIONS Is a 6-week behaviour change intervention effective and feasible in reducing sedentary time in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ? DESIGN This study will be a multi-centre , r and omised , controlled trial with concealed allocation , assessor blinding , and intention-to-treat analysis , comparing a 6-week behaviour change intervention aim ed at reducing sedentary time with a sham intervention in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease . PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Seventy participants will be recruited from the waiting lists for pulmonary rehabilitation programs at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital , Sydney , Australia . INTERVENTION The behaviour change intervention aims to reduce sedentary time through a process of guided goal setting with participants to achieve two target behaviours : ( 1 ) replace sitting and lying down with light-intensity physical activity where possible , and ( 2 ) st and up and move for 2minutes after 30minutes of continuous sedentary time . Three face-to-face sessions and three phone sessions will be held with a physiotherapist over the 6-week intervention period . The ' capability ' , ' opportunity ' , ' motivation ' and ' behaviour ' ( COM-B ) model will be applied to each participant to determine which components of behaviour ( capability , opportunity or motivation ) need to change in order to reduce sedentary time . Based on this ' behavioural diagnosis ' , the Behaviour Change Wheel will be used to systematic ally select appropriate behaviour change techniques to assist participants in achieving their weekly goals . Behaviour change techniques will include providing information about the health consequences of sedentary behaviour , self-monitoring and review of weekly goals , problem-solving of barriers to achieving weekly goals , and providing feedback on sedentary time using the Jawbone UP3 activity monitor . CONTROL The sham intervention will consist of weekly phone calls for 6 weeks , to enquire whether the participants ' health status has changed over the intervention period ( eg , hospitalised for an acute exacerbation ) . No instructions regarding physical activity or exercise will be given . MEASUREMENTS Outcomes will be assessed at baseline , at the end of the 6-week intervention period , and at the 3-month follow-up . Primary outcome measures will be : ( 1 ) total sedentary time , including the pattern of accumulation of sedentary time , assessed by the activPAL3 activity monitor , and ( 2 ) feasibility of the intervention assessed by uptake and retention of participants , participant compliance , self-reported achievement of weekly goals , and adverse events . Secondary outcome measures will include functional exercise capacity , health-related quality of life , domain-specific and behaviour-specific sedentary time , patient activation , and anxiety and depression .  Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with participants who receive the behaviour change intervention to explore acceptability and satisfaction with the different components of the intervention . ANALYSIS Analysis of covariance ( ANCOVA ) will be used to calculate between-group comparisons of total sedentary time and the number of bouts of sedentary time>30minutes after adjusting baseline values . Uncertainty about the size of the mean between-group differences will be quantified with 95 % CI . Within-group comparisons will be examined using paired t-tests and described as mean differences with 95 % CIs . Secondary outcome measures will be analysed similarly . The feasibility measures will be analysed descriptively . Semi-structured interviews will be conducted until data saturation is achieved and there are no new emerging themes . De-identified interview transcripts will be coded independently by two research ers and analysed alongside data collection using the COM-B model as a thematic framework . DISCUSSION / SIGNIFICANCE If behaviour change interventions are found to be an effective and feasible method for reducing sedentary time , such interventions may be used to reduce cardiometabolic risk in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease . An approach that emphasises participation in light-intensity physical activity may increase the confidence and willingness of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to engage in more intense physical activity , and may serve as an intermediate goal to increase uptake of pulmonary rehabilitation Introduction Large proportions of the population are not meeting recommended levels of physical activity and have increasingly sedentary lifestyles . Low levels of physical activity are predictive of poor health outcomes and time spent sedentary is related to a host of risk factors independently of physical activity levels . Building an evidence base of the best approaches to intervene in the lifestyles of inactive individuals is crucial in preventing long-term disease , disability and higher mortality rates . Methods and analysis Systematic search es will be conducted on all relevant data bases ( eg , PubMed , Scopus , CINAHL , PsycINFO ) . Studies will be included if they assess interventions aim ed at changing physical activity or sedentary behaviour levels in adults ( over 18 ) who are inactive and do not suffer from chronic conditions . Studies must also be r and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) , have a primary outcome of physical activity or sedentary behaviour , and measure outcomes at least 6 months after intervention completion . Studies will be coded using the Behaviour Change Technique ( BCT ) taxonomy v1 and Template for Intervention Description and Replication ( TIDieR ) guidelines . 2 review ers will independently screen full-text articles and extract data on study characteristics , participants , BCTs , intervention features and outcome measures . Study quality will also be assessed independently by 2 review ers using the Cochrane risk of bias tool . A meta- analysis will be considered if there is sufficient homogeneity across outcomes . GRADE criteria will be used to assess quality of evidence . Dissemination This will be the first review to systematic ally appraise interventions aim ed at changing the physical activity or sedentary behaviour of inactive individuals using RCT design s with a 6-month follow-up post-intervention . This review will better inform intervention design ers targeting inactive population s and inform the design of a future complex intervention . Review registration number This protocol was registered with the International Prospect i ve Register of Systematic Review s ( PROSPERO ) on 17 October 2014 ( registration number : CRD42014014321 ) Aims This study assessed the efficacy of a school-based healthy lifestyle intervention ( Sport for LIFE ) for increasing physical activity , decreasing sedentary behaviour , reducing screen time behaviour , encouraging healthy attitudes and behaviour to nutrition , and reducing body mass index ( BMI ) in 8–9-year-old primary school children from lower socioeconomic background s in Northern Irel and . Methods A non-r and omised controlled trial of 416 children from 24 schools took part . Schools were r and omly assigned to one of two groups , an intervention or control group with 12 schools in each group . The intervention group received a 12-week school-based programme based on social cognitive theory . At baseline and follow-up , groups completed question naires assessing physical activity , screen time behaviour and dietary patterns . On each occasion anthropometric assessment  s of height and weight were taken . Physical activity and sedentary behaviour were measured by accelerometry . Results Significant effects were observed for vigorous , moderate and light activity for the intervention group at follow-up . Sedentary behaviour was significantly reduced for the intervention group but not for the control group . No significant effects of the intervention on BMI , screen time behaviour or attitudes to nutrition , with the exception of non-core foods , were shown . Conclusions The programme was effective in increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviour , however no significant changes in screen time behaviour and attitude to nutrition , with the exception of non-core foods , were observed . Future research ideas are offered for tackling low levels of physical activity in children OBJECTIVES ICAPS ( Intervention Centred on Adolescents ' Physical activity and Sedentary behaviour ) is aim ed at preventing excessive weight gain and cardiovascular risk in adolescents by promoting physical activity ( PA ) with an emphasis on recreational and daily-life PA , with a lifelong perspective . DESIGN R and omized study design ed to last for four years . Study cohort constituted of 954 first-level students ( 91 % of eligible pupils ) , aged 11.7 + /- 0.6 y ( mean + /- SD ) from four pairs of schools r and omly selected in eastern France , after sociogeographical stratification . In each pair , intervention status was r and omised at school-level . The program , not limited to school setting s , involves multiple partners with three objectives : 1 ) changing attitudes through debates and access to attractive activities during breaks and after-school hours , 2 ) encouraging social support , 3 ) providing environmental conditions that enable PA . Adapted times and places , open participation , emphasis on fun , meeting with others and absence of competitive aspects are used to reduce usual barriers to PA .  Accessibility and safety are permanent concerns . RESULTS Prevalence of overweight was 23.7 % . High participation rates were attained ( 50 % participated in at least one weekly activity ) . At six-month , the proportion of intervention adolescents  not performing supervised PA out of academic PA  was reduced by half ( 36 % to 17 % vs 42 % to 42 % in controls P < 10 - 4 ) ; the proportion of those spending > 3 h/day in sedentary occupations decreased ( 34 % to 28 % vs 27 % to 36 % ; P < 10 - 4 ) . CONCLUSION These data demonstrate the feasibility of implementing a multilevel PA intervention program in adolescents . Six-month results document increased PA  and decreased sedentary behaviour Background Low levels of physical activity , high levels of sedentary behaviour and low levels of fruit and vegetable consumption are common in children and are associated with adverse health outcomes . The aim of this paper is to describe the protocol for a cluster r and omised controlled trial ( RCT ) design ed to evaluate a school-based intervention that aims to increase levels of physical activity  , decrease  sedentary behaviour  and increase consumption of fruit and vegetables in school children . Methods / design The Active for Life Year 5 ( AFLY5 ) study is a school-based , cluster RCT that targets school children in Year 5 ( age 9 - 10 years ) . All state junior/ primary schools in the area covered by Bristol City and North Somerset Council are invited to participate ; special schools are excluded . Eligible schools are r and omised to one of two arms : intervention arm ( receive the intervention 2011 - 2012 ) and control arm ( receive the intervention after the final follow-up assessment , 2013 - 2014 ) . The primary outcomes of the trial are levels of accelerometer assessed physical activity and sedentary behaviour and question naire assessed fruit and vegetable consumption . A number of secondary outcomes will also be measured , including body mass index , waist circumference and overweight/obesity . Outcomes will be assessed at baseline ( prior to intervention when the children are in Year 4 ) , at the end of intervention ' immediate follow-up ' and ' 12 months long-term ' follow-up . We will use r and om effects linear and logistic regression models to compare outcomes by r and omised arm . The economic evaluation from a societal perspective will take the form of a cost consequence analysis . Data from focus groups and interviews with pupils , parents and teachers will be used to increase underst and ing of how the intervention has any effect and is integrated into normal school activity . Discussion The results of the trial will provide information about the public health effectiveness of a school-based intervention aim ed at improving levels of physical activity , sedentary behaviour and diet in children . Trial registration IS RCT Early childhood is a critical time for promoting physical activity . Few studies have investigated the effect of interventions in this population . The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a school-based active play intervention on preschool children 's sedentary time and physical activity .  Preschool children were recruited from r and omly selected preschools . Schools were r and omly assigned to an intervention or comparison group . One teacher per intervention school received training from active play professionals in the delivery of a 6-week active play programme . Comparison schools continued their usual practice . Children wore a  uni-axial accelerometer  for 7 days at baseline , immediately after and at 6-month post-intervention . No significant intervention effects were observed for sedentary time or physical activity . However , sex and hours spent at school were significant predictors of physical activity . Children who spent fewer hours ( half-day children ) at school were significantly more active than their full-day counterparts . Physical activity during the intervention classes was high even though neither daily physical activity nor sedentary time changed . Notably children who spent more time at preschool were less active suggesting that preschool was not as conducive to physical activity engagement as other environments
Conclusions Multicomponent interventions which also include the use of st and ing desks may be an effective method for reducing  children 's sedentary time  in a school-based intervention .
Introduction Prolonged , uninterrupted periods of sedentary time may be associated with increased risk of Type II diabetes , cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality even if the minimum recommended levels of daily physical activity are achieved .
It is reported that children spend approximately 80 % of their day engaged in sedentary behaviours .
Since children spend a large portion of their waking time at school , school-based interventions targeting excessive or interrupted periods of sedentary time have been investigated in a number of studies .
However , results of the effectiveness of studies to- date have been inconsistent .
Aim To conduct a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of school-based interventions design ed to reduce sedentary behaviour on objective ly measured sedentary time in children .