Rebecca Boulos co-authors article in the ‘International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity’

Rebecca J. Boulos, M.P.H., Ph.D., assistant clinical professor in the School of Community and Population Health, co-authored an article in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity titled, “Disparities in Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity among Girls and Overweight and Obese Schoolchildren during School- and Out-of-School Time.”

Nationwide, nearly one percent of youth ages 6–11 years are classified as obese. Identifying impactful strategies for promoting physical activity during in-school and out-of-school time may be a promising approach to reversing the trend of childhood obesity in the U.S.

The article describes data collected from 13 New England elementary schools and examines schoolchildren’s volume and type of physical activity during school and out-of-school time compared to national recommendations and differentiates by sex and weight status.

Findings demonstrate that few children achieved 60 minutes of recommended total daily or school-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. For all time-of-day physical activity categories, girls achieved fewer minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity than boys, and overweight/obese participants achieved fewer minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity than normal/underweight peers.

Boulos co-authored the study with colleagues from Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and ChildObesity180: Kristie Hubbard, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D.; Christina D. Economos, Ph.D.; Peter Bakun, B.S.; Kenneth Chui, Ph.D., M.P.H.; Megan Mueller, M.P.H.; Katie Smith, M.P.H.; and Jennifer M. Sacheck, Ph.D., FACSM.