Affiliation:
1. Department of Population and Public Health Sciences University of Southern California Los Angeles California USA
2. Department of Psychology University of Southern California Los Angeles California USA
Abstract
AbstractBackgroundDuring the early months of the COVID‐19 pandemic, decreases in physical activity (PA) and increases in sedentary behavior (SB) were reported among children in the United States (U.S.). This follow‐up analysis examines 13‐month effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic on children's PA and SB one year into the pandemic.MethodsParents of 5–13‐year‐old children in the U.S. (N = 71) reported on their child's PA and SB during the early COVID‐19 period (April‐May 2020) and again 12–14 months later (June‐July 2021).ResultsPaired t‐tests showed significant within‐subject reductions in SB minutes per day (Mdiff = −86.20, t = 3.26, p < 0.01) but no changes in PA minutes per day. Separate mixed‐model repeated‐measures analysis of covariance procedures found that within‐subject changes in PA and SB did not differ by child sex or age.ConclusionAs COVID‐19 restrictions lessened, there were more opportunities for children to reduce SB, but there were still barriers to engage in PA.
Funder
National Institutes of Health
Subject
Nutrition and Dietetics,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
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