7 Does Physical Activity Vary By Virtual or In-Person School Models in School-Aged Children?

BACKGROUND: Current recommendations for school-aged children’s physical activity include at least one hour of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity per day. Schools play an essential role in providing access to physical activity, through both structured and unstructured activity such as physical education and recess. North American data has shown that due to restrictions placed on in-person schooling, children were not meeting recommended levels of physical activity during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to understand the effect schooling models have on access to physical activity and subsequent reported changes in mental and physical health. DESIGN/METHODS: An online survey was distributed to parents of school-aged children aged 4-13 in Ontario. The survey included questions regarding demographics, children’s physical activity prior to and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and parental perceptions regarding the pandemic’s impact on mental and physical health. This study received ethics approval, was hosted on the REDCap(TM) platform, and distributed from February-June 2021 through a local school board, the Pediatrics section of the Ontario Medical Association, and through social media. RESULTS: A total of 361 survey participants responded. Although there was a statistically significant decrease in the overall mean number of hours of physical activity per week from prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (mean difference = 9.34 hours, SD = 10.06, p<0.001), there was no significant difference in hours of physical activity when comparing in-person and virtual school models (p=0.892 pre-COVID-19 pandemic and p=0.146 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic). There was no significant difference in parent-reported impact of either physical (p=0.724) or mental (p=0.822) health between those that were enrolled in virtual or in-person school models, and no significant difference between school model and restarting activities (p=0.078). CONCLUSION: This survey highlights not only that parents identified a significant decrease in children’s physical activity during the pandemic but also that there was no correlation between school model and physical activity. This may be due to several organized physical activities not being re-started despite schools reopening, thus contributing to similar outcomes for children in both school models. Future research may include exploring why virtual and in-person models demonstrated no significant difference in physical activity and to conduct a qualitative analysis on methods used by parents to engage children in activity.