Factors Associated with Children’s Physical Activity During Youth Soccer Practices

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To identify practice and social contextual factors that associate with physical activity (PA) levels of children during their participation in a youth soccer program. Methods: Twenty-seven youth soccer teams serving children ages 6–11 years participated. Research staff directly observed and recorded PA intensity and practice and social contextual factors using momentary time-sampling procedures. Each team was observed for 1 practice, during which approximately 6 children were each observed for twenty 30-s observation blocks (10-s observation, 20-s recording). In total, children were observed for 3,102 intervals. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were conducted to describe associations between PA intensity and practice and social contexts. Interaction terms were introduced into the models to determine if the associations differed across girls-only, boys-only, and coed teams. Results: A total of 158 children were observed across the 27 teams. Children were more likely to engage in moderate or vigorous PA while performing fitness (Odds Ratio [OR], 9.9, 95% CI = 5.34–18.04), game (OR, 4.0, 95% CI = 2.88–5.66), warm-up (OR, 2.8, 95% CI = 1.85–4.11), and drill (OR, 1.9, 95% CI = 1.41–2.67) activities compared to tactic/instructional activities. The associations between PA intensity levels and practice and social contexts did not differ across girls-only, boys-only, and coed teams. Conclusions: Fitness activities and full-team game play were associated with higher PA intensity levels during children’s participation in youth soccer practices. Youth sport practice protocols can be modified to increase children’s physical activity.

KEYWORDS:

• Childhood
• direct observation
• exercise
• moderate to vigorous physical activity
• practice context
• sex specificity
• social context
• sport

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Gaye Groover Christmus, MPH, for editorial assistance in the preparation of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

IRB approval

The University of South Carolina’s institutional review board approved all study protocols.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.