Sedentary or Active: Impact of Day, Time, and Gender

Middle-school boys tend to be more active than girls; however, activity patterns for both tend to be below recommended levels of moderate and vigorous activity. Dr. Cheryl Anderson, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, and colleagues have explored these differences using accelerometers and self-report diaries.

Their findings suggest that 8th grade boys and girls have different levels of active and sedentary activity. Weekend and weekday activity also differs. There are certain time periods when 8th graders tend to be more active.

Boys and girls reported the least amount of sedentary behavior between 3 and 7 pm. Boys spent more time in electronic recreation and sports, while girls spent more time in personal care. Both genders reported spending large amounts of time in various forms of sitting (e.g., riding in cars, education) and relatively little time moving around. Of the three “active categories” (sports, walking, chores), the most time was devoted to sports. Sport time remained consistent, but at low levels on all days.

Dr. Anderson believes that it is important for parents and caregivers to provide opportunities for youth to be active, whether it is in sports, chores or just walking instead of riding in a car. Dr. Anderson concludes, “Whenever we can encourage an alternative to sitting, we are helping today’s youth.” To learn more about this topic, refer to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2005;28(5) which can be found at www.elsevier.com.