Physical activity of fifth to sixth graders during school hours according to school race/ethnicity: Suburban Cook County, Illinois.

BACKGROUND

We compared moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) and inactivity levels among fifth and sixth graders during school hours according to school-level race/ethnicity and income attributes to inform school-based obesity interventions in Illinois Suburban Cook County (SCC).

METHODS

Fifth- and sixth-grade students (N = 591) in 14 SCC public schools were asked to wear an accelerometer during school hours for 4 consecutive school days. School-level race/ethnicity was assigned based on the majority (≥ 70%) race/ethnicity of the student population: white (N = 4), black (N = 2), Hispanic (N = 5), or "mixed" (N = 3). All minority schools (N = 7) fell within a low-income category.

RESULTS

A total of 538 students (91%) had valid accelerometry data. Average MVPA time during school hours was 20 minutes/day for boys and 11 minutes/day for girls. Multilevel linear regression models showed that compared to peers in white schools, boys, and girls in Hispanic schools engaged in 14 and 10 minutes less MVPA, respectively (p < .01). Girls in black and Hispanic schools had greater inactivity time than girls in white schools (p < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Objectively measured physical activity (PA) data support the need for school-level PA interventions during school hours, particularly in predominantly Hispanic schools.