Rogers Ann E, Wichman Christopher S, Schenkelberg Michaela A, Dzewaltowski David A
University of Nebraska Medical Center.
University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Res Q Exerc Sport. 2025 Mar;96(1):96-108. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2024.2367565. Epub 2024 Jul 11.
Youth sport (YS) is a community system for promoting children's physical activity (PA). Studies have examined mean PA during YS practices, but few have examined inequalities in the distribution of PA among children during practice time. This study examined PA inequality in time-segmented YS practices and differences in inequality by time segment characteristics. Children's PA and YS practices were examined using accelerometer and video observation data from a sample of YS teams ( = 36 teams, = 101 practices) for third- through sixth-grade children ( = 392), approximately eight to 12 years old, in two rural U.S. communities. Practices were time-segmented into smaller units (episodes; = 991). Episodes were assigned codes for purpose (e.g. warm-up), member arrangement (e.g. whole group), and setting demand (i.e. fosters participation, creates exclusion). Group accelerometer data were paired with episodes, and the Gini coefficient quantified inequality in activity counts and minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Beta generalized estimating equations examined the influence of episode structure on PA inequality. Warm-up (Gini = 0.22), fitness (Gini = 0.24), and sport skill (Gini = 0.24) episodes had significantly lower inequality ( < .05) in activity counts than other purpose types. Management (Gini = 0.32) and strategy (Gini = 0.40) episodes had significantly greater inequality ( < .05) in MVPA minutes than other purpose types. Episodes fostering participation (Gini = 0.32) had significantly lower activity count inequality ( < .05) than episodes creating exclusion (Gini = 0.35). PA inequality among children during YS varied by practice structure. Metrics such as the Gini coefficient can illuminate inequalities in PA and may be useful for guiding efforts to improve population PA in children. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT03380143).
青少年体育（YS）是促进儿童身体活动（PA）的社区体系。已有研究考察了青少年体育活动期间的平均身体活动情况，但很少有研究考察儿童在活动期间身体活动分布的不平等情况。本研究考察了按时间段划分的青少年体育活动中的身体活动不平等情况，以及不平等情况随时间段特征的差异。使用来自美国两个农村社区三至六年级儿童（n = 392，年龄约8至12岁）的青少年运动队样本（n = 36个队，n = 101次活动）的加速度计和视频观察数据，对儿童的身体活动和青少年体育活动进行了考察。活动被按时间段划分为更小的单元（片段；n = 991）。为片段分配了目的（如热身）、成员安排（如全体）和环境需求（即促进参与、造成排斥）代码。将组加速度计数据与片段配对，并用基尼系数量化活动计数和中度至剧烈身体活动（MVPA）分钟数的不平等情况。贝塔广义估计方程考察了片段结构对身体活动不平等的影响。热身（基尼系数 = 0.22）、体能训练（基尼系数 = 0.24）和运动技能（基尼系数 = 0.24）片段的活动计数不平等程度（p <.05）显著低于其他目的类型。管理（基尼系数 = 0.32）和策略（基尼系数 = 0.40）片段的MVPA分钟数不平等程度（p <.05）显著高于其他目的类型。促进参与的片段（基尼系数 = 0.32）的活动计数不平等程度（p <.05）显著低于造成排斥的片段（基尼系数 = 0.35）。青少年体育活动期间儿童的身体活动不平等情况因活动结构而异。基尼系数等指标可以揭示身体活动中的不平等情况，可能有助于指导改善儿童总体身体活动的努力。本研究已在www.clinicaltrials.gov注册（标识符：NCT03380143）。
