Social Influence on School Recess Physical Activity

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between elementary students' physical activity (PA) levels and their social and activity preferences during school recess. Methods: Elementary students (N = 179) were interviewed and the percentage of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was used to group students into low (N = 40), medium (N = 81), and high (N = 58) activity categories. Results: Social factors influenced low MVPA students to a greater degree than high MVPA students. Low MVPA students prioritized being with friends and being social, whereas high MVPA students prioritized activities, games, and sports during recess. Conclusion: Findings suggest that many students are less than ideally active during recess, and are influenced by social factors.