Children's Obesogenic Behaviors During Summer Versus School: A Within‐Person Comparison

• Published in: The Journal of school health Vol. 88; no. 12; pp. 886 - 892
• Main Authors: Brazendale, Keith, Beets, Michael W., Turner‐McGrievy, Gabrielle M., Kaczynski, Andrew T., Pate, Russell R., Weaver, Robert G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Wiley Periodicals, Inc 01.12.2018; Wiley-Blackwell; American School Health Association; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Accelerometry; African American health; African Americans; Analysis; Behavior; Body Weight; Child; Child Behavior - psychology; Child Health; Child psychology; Children; Childrens health; Diet; Eating Habits; Exercise - psychology; Female; Health aspects; Health Behavior; Humans; Life Style; Lifestyles; Male; Obesity; Parents; Pediatric Obesity - psychology; Physical activity; Physical Activity Level; Pilot Projects; Poverty; Schools; Seasons; Sedentary; Sedentary Behavior; Sleep; Southeastern United States; Sugar; Summer; summer effects on weight gain; Television Viewing; Time; Time use; United States; Video Games; Weight gain; Weight Gain - physiology; Southeastern United States; United States; summer effects on weight gain; African American health; child health; obesity
• ISSN: 0022-4391; 1746-1561; 1746-1561
• DOI: 10.1111/josh.12699

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Evidence consistently shows children in the United States gain 3 to 5 times more weight during summer vacation (∼2.5 months) compared to the 9‐month school year. The purpose of this study is to examine within‐child differences in 4 obesogenic behaviors (physical activity [PA], sedentary/screen‐time, diet, and sleep) during school versus summer. METHODS We used a repeated‐measures within‐subjects design. Children (N = 30 mean age = 8.2 years; 57% female; 37% overweight/obese; 100% African American) wore accelerometers on the nondominant wrist for 24 hr/d over 9 consecutive days during school and summer of 2016 to capture PA, sedentary time, and sleep. Parents completed a daily diary to report bed/wake times, diet, and screen‐time of their child each day. Mixed‐effect models compared summer and school behaviors. RESULTS Children spent more time sedentary (69% vs 67% of wake wear time), less time in light PA (25% vs 23% of wake wear time), had higher screen‐time (242 vs 123 minutes/day), slept longer (428 vs 413 minutes/night), and consumed more sugar‐based foods (6 days vs 2.5 days/week) and fruit (7 days vs 4.7 days/week) during summer compared to school (p < .05). CONCLUSION Initial evidence suggests children are displaying multiple unfavorable obesogenic behaviors during summer compared to school that may contribute to accelerated weight gain during summer.