Physical Activity Design Guidelines for School Architecture.

Increasing children's physical activity at school is a national focus in the U.S. to address childhood obesity. While research has demonstrated associations between aspects of school environments and students' physical activity, the literature currently lacks a synthesis of evidence to serve as a practical, spatially-organized resource for school designers and decision-makers, as well as to point to pertinent research opportunities. This paper describes the development of a new practical tool: Physical Activity Design Guidelines for School Architecture. Its aims are to provide architects and designers, as well as school planners, educators, and public health professionals, with strategies for making K-12 school environments conducive to healthy physical activity, and to engage scientists in transdisciplinary perspectives toward improved knowledge of the school environment's impact. We used a qualitative review process to develop evidence-based and theory-driven school design guidelines that promote increased physical activity among students. The design guidelines include specific strategies in 10 school design domains. Implementation of the guidelines is expected to enable students to adopt healthier physical activity behaviors. The tool bridges a translational gap between research and environmental design practice, and may contribute to setting new industry and education standards.

Sitting habits in elementary schoolchildren: a traditional versus a "Moving school".

This study evaluated differences in sitting habits in the classroom between the project "Moving school" and a traditional school in 8-year-old children. Twenty-two children, since 1.5 years involved in the project were compared to 25 children in a traditional school. Making use of the Portable Ergonomic Observation (PEO) method, it was observed that children from a traditional school spend an average of 97% of the lesson time sitting statically, from which one-third with the trunk bend over 45 degrees. In the "Moving school" this posture was replaced by dynamic sitting (53%), standing (31%) and walking around (10%), while trunk flexion over 45 degrees was nearly not observed. Children from the "Moving school" also showed significantly less neck and trunk rotation. Additionally, accelerometric data showed significantly more physical activity in lessons of the "Moving school". Rates of self-reported back or neck pain did not differ significantly between both study groups. Results show that sitting habits are more favourable in a "Moving school". Further research is needed to study the impact of implementing "Moving school" concepts in traditional schools on sitting habits.