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. 2021 Dec;80(1):2004688.
doi: 10.1080/22423982.2021.2004688.

Seasonal variations in physical activity among Norwegian elementary school children in Arctic regions

Karin H Danielsen  1 , Thilde K Vårnes  1 , Edvard H Sagelv  2 , Kim A Heitmann  2 , Gunnar E Mathisen  1
Affiliations

Seasonal variations in physical activity among Norwegian elementary school children in Arctic regions

Karin H Danielsen et al. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2021 Dec.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to measure seasonal variations in physical activity (PA) during Polar Nights (PN) and Polar Days (PD) among elementary school children in the Arctic regions of Norway. One hundred and seventy-eight schoolchildren from 1st, 3rd, 5thand 7th grade participated in the study. Physical activity was measured for seven consecutive days with an ActiGraph GT3X-BT accelerometer and is expressed as total PA incounts per minute (cpm) and moderate-to-vigorous activity (MVPA) (min∙day-1). During PN, 51% of boys and 33% of girls met the PA recommendations, whereas 36% of boys and 34% of girls met the recommendations during PD. Time spent doing MVPA did not differ between the two seasons (all p ≥ 0.073). Overall, the children accumulated 613 ±154 cpm during PN, which was lower than during PD 704 ± 269 cpm, p < 0.001). A larger proportion of boys than girls met the PA recommendations during PN compared with PD. Our findings did not show any clear seasonal variation for MVPA or total PA among children,except for some differences within sexes in different grades. This study indicates that interventions aimed at increasing PA should be implemented throughout the year in the Arctic regions. .

Keywords: Accelerometer; Arctic region; Polar Day; Polar Night; Schoolchildren; Seasonal variation.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Propotion of children who met the PA recommendations by grade, sex and season (bottom) and sex and season (top). *p < 0.05
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Mean PA (cpm) with error bars as SD stratified by grade, sex and season *p < 0.05 between PN and PD
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Time spent in MVPA, moderat-to-vigorous physical activity. Mean (min-day−1) with error bars as SD during weekdays (bottom) and weekend days (top) stratified by sex, grades between season. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.001
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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