ActiGraph Measurement of Primary School Pupils’ Physical Activity during Outdoor Education
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| Year of publication | 2018 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | Physical activity is an inseparable part of human life and one of the crucial needs of every child (pupil). We are living in a time of decline of the population’s level of physical fitness, while physical activity is being replaced by passive forms of entertainment (e.g. playing computer games, watching television). The international HSBC study comparing physical activity of European pupils shows that the number of European pupils lacking adequate physical activity is increasing. However, it is possible to naturally integrate activities involving movement into most subjects taught at schools, school being the place where a child spends the majority of their day. Apart from PE which is a compulsory school subject, activities involving movement may be incorporated via different forms of outdoor education. Based on the authors’ own data, acquired by ActiGraph accelerometer (including heart rate gauge), it is possible to claim that outdoor education can lead to a healthier lifestyle and help improve the physical activity level of the pupils. The aim of this paper is to analyse the results of the data concerning the level of physical movement of a representative group of elementary school students during various forms of education: standard education, education concerning PE and outdoor education. The data sample of pupils was limited to ten pupils each from Grade 5 and Grade 8, due to the availability of the ActiGraph monitoring devices. Out of all the functions which the device can measure, we focused on the amount of energy burned [Kcal], the metabolic rate [MET] and the sedentary analysis (sedentary time in minutes detected during different types of education). Afterwards, a complex questionnaire survey with the pupils of both model classrooms was administered. The goal of this survey was to determine the pupils’ attitudes to the movement in standard and outdoor education classes. |
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