Children's physical activity levels during prolonged confinement are linked to the conditions in which they live

Pombo, A. ., Luz, C. ., Rodrigues, L. ., Ferreire, C. ., & Cordovil, R. . (2020). Correlates of children’s physical activity during the COVID-19 confinement in Portugal. Public Health, 189, 14-19. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2020.09.009

This study was based on the understanding that knowing which variables are more related to children's physical activity during COVID-19 can be helpful in creating strategies for future situations of prolonged confinement. The study focused on children younger than 13-years of age in Portugal.

An online survey was used to collect data for this study. The survey was conducted the same week as when the Portuguese state of emergency was declared. In addition to collecting information about the child (age, gender, etc.), the survey also collected information about (1) the composition of the household (number of people in the home, adults working at home, etc.), (2) housing characteristics (apartment, house, outdoor space, etc.), (3) household routines (time spent in different activities before and after confinement), and (4) child routines (including physical activities before and after confinement). The goal in analyzing the data was to determine how factors such as the number of children, age, gender, housing characteristics, and the adults' job situation can affect children's physical activity levels. The initial data included 3075 survey responses given by parents. After removing incomplete and duplicate surveys, data regarding 2159 children were used in this study.

Findings showed that time allocated for physical activity during the confinement period was less than pre-COVID conditions. Yet, both boys and girls allocated some time during confinement to physical activities, which included movement play and physical exercise. Younger children were more physically active than older children. There was no difference in the daily percent of physical activity for boys and girls. Having a big outdoor space was the largest and a significant factor in children's physical activity levels. This was most noticeable for children between the age of three and nine. The presence of other children in the house was also significantly associated with higher levels of physical activity. All adults working from home had a negative impact on children's activity levels. This may be due to “the relative lack of attention to children and the need for a quiet home environment.”

According to the researchers, “this study was the first to reveal the differential effect of the COVID-19 confinement in Portugal based on the conditions in which children live.” The findings point to the need to identify strategies to increase children's physical activity, especially in families in which both parents are working and have no outdoor space.

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