Can a multicomponent-overnight camp increase physical activity among Danish children? A retrospective cross-sectional study

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Dorthe Dalstrup Jakobsen
  • Jasper Schipperijn
  • Jens Meldgaard Bruun

Background: In Denmark, most children are not sufficiently physically active and only a few interventions have been found to increase long-term physical activity among overweight and obese children. The aim of our study was to investigate if children are physically active in correspondence to Danish recommendations after attending a multicomponent-overnight camp.

Methods: A questionnaire was developed to estimate children's physical activity level and behavior and investigate how transport, economy, availability, time, motivation, and knowledge about physical activity affect children's physical activity level and behavior.

Results: In this study, 60.9% of the children did vigorous physical activity (VPA) minimum 30 minutes 3 times per week up to 3 years after camp. Most children were physically active at a sports club (44.3%) and only 5.7% of the children did not participate in physical activity. Parental physical activity and child motivation toward physical activity were significantly (P < .05) associated with children doing VPA.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that 60.9% of children who attended camp engage in VPA after camp, which compared with a recent Danish study, is more frequent than children who did not attend camp. Further investigations are needed to determine the long-term health effects in children attending interventions such as multicomponent-overnight camps.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Physical Activity & Health
Volume18
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)37-43
Number of pages7
ISSN1543-3080
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

    Research areas

  • Faculty of Science - Exercise, Childhood obesity, Weight-loss camp, Lifestyle intervention

ID: 306973841