Zan Gao, PhD, director of Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory, has recently published a research article titled “Effect of Children’s Weight Status on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior during Physical Education, Recess, and After School” as the corresponding author in Journal of Clinical Medicine. The first-author of this paper is Zachary Pope, a recent doctoral graduate under Dr. Gao’s mentorship, the senior scientist at Well Living Lab of Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. 

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of weight status on underserved elementary school children’s physical activity and sedentary behavior throughout the segmented day. Findings suggested that significantly higher moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was observed for children of healthy weight status versus children with overweight/obesity during morning recess, after school, and overall. 

Interestingly, comparisons of children of healthy weight status and children with overweight/obesity’s light physical activity and sedentary behavior during the after-school segment revealed a trend wherein children with overweight/obesity participated in slightly greater light physical activity /less sedentary behavior than children of healthy weight status. Higher moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was observed among children of healthy weight versus children with overweight/obesity during most daily segments. Concerted efforts should focus on increasing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among children with overweight/obesity.