PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PATTERNS BY GENDER AND OBESITY LEVELS IN SPANISH SCHOOL CHILDREN. EYHS STUDY

The aim of this study was to analyse objectively the physical activity (PA) patterns of Spanish school children and determine whether there were differences between overweight/obese and non-overweight children's PA patterns. A sample of 438 healthy, 9-year-old children from the Community of Madrid participated in the study. The anthropometric characteristics were measured and the PA quantified with an accelerometer. The results showed that children's moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) was associated more closely to gender than to Body Mass Index (BMI) (overweight/obese vs. non-overweight). Regardless of gender and being overweight/obesity, children achieved significantly (p < .01) more (MVPA) during weekend days than weekdays. Boys were significantly (p < .001) more active than girls. Significant differences were only found between non-overweight vs. overweight/obese boys. The two MVPA peaks during the weekday pattern for all children were: 1) from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. and 2) from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Girls were significantly (p < .001) more active during the morning period (in school) than after school, whereas there were no significant differences for boys.