Background: To evaluate the effects of the introduction of physically active lessons on movement behaviors, cognitive, and academic performance in schoolchildren. Methods: This was a cluster-controlled trial. A total of 61 students from the second year of elementary school in a public school in Brazil made up 2 intervention classes (n = 34) with the introduction of physically active lessons and 2 control classes (n = 27). Sedentary behavior, physical activity, cognitive, and academic performance were evaluated in 3 moments, which were compared using models of generalized estimating equations. Results: The intervention was effective for reducing the standing time between the baseline and 3 months while increasing the walking time between baseline and 3 months and baseline and 9 months. There was a reduction in time in stationary activities and increased time in light physical activities between all moments. The intervention group increased their performance in the go/no go test, showing a smaller number of errors between the baseline and 3 months and baseline and 9 months, and a reduction in the test time between baseline and 3 months. No impact on students’ academic performance was observed. Conclusion: Physically active lessons improve movement behaviors and cognitive functions among elementary schoolchildren.

The objective of this study was to describe the profile of bicycle users, their perceived difficulty to cycle, and the most frequent trip origins and destinations in Aracaju, Northeast Brazil. Our cross-sectional study sampled 1001 participants and we collected information through structured interviews. Aged ≥15 years, participants were residents of all Aracaju’s neighborhoods and used a bicycle for commuting to work or for leisure. We observed that bicycle users in Aracaju are predominantly employed male subjects, aged between 18 and 40 years, and were the heads of their households. Most of the them reported “work” as the main reason for their bicycle trips and, “health” and “practicality” aspects as their main motivations for using bicycles. In general, the neighborhoods in the north and center of the city were identified as the most difficult for cycling, and the easiest trips occurred in places with cycle paths. As a conclusion of this study, we reaffirm the need for intersectoral actions that create favorable environments for active commuting and more sustainable cities.

Purpose: In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of two years of an intervention with physically active lessons on indicators of sedentary behavior and physical activity measured objectively in elementary school children. Methods: A controlled clinical trial with cluster sampling was carried out in 2018 and 2019, with four classes of children in the 2nd year of elementary school. The intervention group classes received dynamic activities linked to the pedagogical content (n = 34) for 2 years. The indicators of sedentary behavior and physical activities were evaluated using ActivPal and ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers during the school shift. Crude and adjusted models of Generalized Estimation Equations with Bonferroni’s post hoc were used to identify the differences between the groups (three evaluations in 2018 and two evaluations in 2019). Results: There was a reduction in stationary behavior (p = .01) and an increase in light physical activity (p = .044) during the two years. In the first year there were reductions in standing time (p = .044) and number of transitions (p ≤ .001), and an increase in walking time (p = .017). However, in the second year, the mean differences in percentage points were smaller than in the first year. No differences were found for sitting time as well as for moderate and vigorous physical activity. We observed a large effect size for all variables. Conclusions: The introduction of physically active lessons in the classroom reduced time in stationary behavior and increased time in light physical activity. However, the effects on behavior observed in the first year were not maintained in the second year of intervention.

The present study aimed to verify the contribution of different physical activity domains to “total physical activity” in Brazilian adolescents. This is a cross-sectional study using secondary data from the third edition of the National School Health Survey - PeNSE, 2015. The sample consisted of 100,497 adolescents of both sexes enrolled in the 9th grade of elementary schools. A linear regression model was used to verify how much each domain contributed to total physical activity, considering gender, type of municipality and region. The domain with the largest contribution to “total physical activity” regardless of sociodemographic and environmental variables was “extra-school physical activity” (R2 = 0.60), followed by “active commuting” (R2 = 0.34), and finally “Physical Education classes” (R2 = 0.23). The contribution of the different domains varied by gender, type of municipality and region, and it was concluded that “extra-school physical activity” make the greatest contribution to “total physical activity”, followed by “active commuting” and “Physical Education classes”. In addition, variation was observed in the contribution of domains by gender, type of municipality and region.

Background : Evidence on the long-term implementation and sustainability of whole-school physical activity programs remains limited. The Creating Active Schools (CAS) program incorporated the CAS Framework to support schools to focus on organizational and cultural change for physical activity. This study evaluates the medium-term implementation of CAS, after 2 academic years. Methods : A qualitative descriptive approach was employed. After 2 years of implementation, 35 participants from 30 Bradford schools, including school staff, CAS Champions, and Bradford CAS locality leads took part in semistructured focus groups. Thematic analysis followed a codebook method, combining inductive, data-driven insights with deductive themes based on McKay et al’s implementation evaluation roadmap, and aligned to the Consolidated Framework Implementation Research. Results : The program increased the reach compared with the first year, with more staff buying into CAS and gaining confidence as advocates of physical activity. Schools shifted from creating new initiatives to embedding and sustaining previous efforts, and some schools required repeated doses to reinstate CAS as a priority where there had been high staff turnover or superficial initial buy-in. Core components of CAS that mitigated negative influences from the wider educational system, included peer-to-peer learning, and inter and intraknowledge exchange arising from the communities of practice. Collectively, these factors contributed to the combined agency within the school to implement CAS. Conclusions : The medium-term implementation of whole-school physical activity programs is contingent on understanding the broader educational context and system influences. This study underscores the importance of communities of practice and supportive structures in sustaining school-based physical activity initiatives.

Nosso objetivo foi caracterizar os estudos brasileiros que avaliaram o comportamento sedentário, descrevendo as principais características dos estudos e identificando os instrumentos utilizados. Utilizando a metodologia PRISMA, a busca ocorreu em 25 de agosto de 2019 e foi atualizada em 17 de outubro de 2020 nas seguintes bases de dados: PUBMED, LILACS e SCIELO. Estudos em inglês, espanhol e português foram incluídos. Os critérios de inclusão foram estudos realizados com uma amostra de brasileiros e que utilizassem um instrumento para avaliar o comportamento sedentário. No total, foram selecionados 229 artigos. A maioria dos estudos avaliou crianças e adolescentes. Apenas 33 estudos usaram medidas derivadas de dispositivos e houve uma grande variabilidade nos questionários usados. Apenas 83/198 estudos apresentaram critérios de qualidade para o instrumento utilizado. A maioria dos estudos considerou o tempo de tela em uma semana típica mais o fim de semana para caracterizar o comportamento sedentário. Portanto, o comportamento sedentário no Brasil tem sido avaliado em grande parte por diferentes questionários, e poucos foram devidamente validados. Esses achados enfatizam a importância da padronização e do rigor metodológico para avaliação do comportamento sedentário no contexto brasileiro.