School breaktimes: Opportunities for promoting health enhancing diet and physical activity Flo Harrison University of East Anglia, School of Environmental Sciences UKCRC Centre for Diet and Physical Activity, Institute for Public Health, Cambridge 24 th January 2012

Why schools? Schools are important settings for health promotion Children are there a lot Schools are already designed to shape knowledge and behaviour through education The provide space and facilities for food and drink consumption and physical activity.

Why breaktimes? Key opportunity for free play within school hours The main time during which children interact with the school food environment

Analysis 1 Food and drink consumption at school lunchtime: the impact of lunch type and contribution to overall intake in British 9–10-year-old children Flo Harrison* 1, Amy Jennings 2, Andy Jones* 1, Ailsa Welch 2, Esther van Sluijs* 3, Simon Griffin* 3 and Aedín Cassidy 2 UKCRC Centre for Diet and Physical Activity, Institute for Public Health, Cambridge 1 School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7JT, UK 2 Department of Nutrition, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK 3 Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK In Press Public Health Nutrition (2012) doi: /S

Food and drink consumption at school lunchtime Research questions How does lunchtime consumption differ between those eating packed lunches and those having school meals? Is there evidence of a school influence on lunchtime intake? How do any differences in school lunchtime intake impact overall intake?

Chips * Confectionary * Savoury snacks * Squash * Fizzy drinks Fruit juice Vegetables * Fruit * Fruit & vegetables mean intake (g) Packed lunches School meals Adjusted mean intake at lunchtime on school days

Food and drink consumption at school lunchtime Explanatory line if required. Results II Secondary text Bullet Chips * Confectionary * Savoury snacks * Squash * Fizzy Drink Fruit Juice Vegetables * Fruit * Fruit & Vegetables mean intake (g) <-Packed lunches School meals-> Adjusted mean intake over whole day

Food and drink consumption at school lunchtime Explanatory line if required. Results II Secondary text Bullet 61.1% 15.8% 24.4% 13.5% 3.6% 33.2% 42.5% 22.5% 34.4% Chips * Confectionary * Savoury snacks * Squash * Fizzy Drink Fruit Juice Vegetables * Fruit * Fruit & Vegetables mean intake (g) <-Packed lunches School meals-> Mean intake at lunchtime on school days as % of intake over whole day 20.2% 51.0% 74.4% 43.3% 2.3% 35.0% 21.6% 50.9% 36.5%

Food and drink consumption at school lunchtime Conclusions and policy implications Difference in intake between school meal and packed lunch eaters School meal intake is in line with standards For specific food groups school lunch consumption is important

Analysis 2 The impact of rainfall and school break time policies on physical activity in 9-10 year old British children: a repeated measures study Flo Harrison* 1, Andrew P Jones 1, Graham Bentham 1, Esther MF van Sluijs 2, Aedín Cassidy 3 and Simon J Griffin 2 * UKCRC Centre for Diet and Physical Activity, Institute for Public Health, Cambridge 1 School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7JT, UK. 2 Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK 3 School of Medicine, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7JT, UK International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2011, 8:47

The impact of rainfall and school policies on physical activity Research Questions What is the relationship between physical activity and rainfall? Can school policies moderate the relationship between physical activity and rainfall?

Minutes MVPA over school lunchbreak The impact of rainfall and school policies on physical activity Results Total daily rainfall (7am-9pm) Minutes MVPA Minutes MVPA over whole day Results I

The impact of rainfall and school policies on physical activity School wet break policy Number of schools Allowed out11 Kept indoors - Indoor PA allowed7 Kept indoors - No indoor PA allowed72

Total daily rainfall (7am-9pm) Minutes MVPA

Total daily rainfall (7am-9pm) Minutes MVPA

The impact of rainfall and school policies on physical activity Conclusions The relationship between rainfall and physical activity is moderated by school policy Children allowed to play outdoors in wet weather are less active than those who can be active indoors By allowing children to be physically active indoors in wet weather, schools may help children maintain activity levels.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This work was undertaken by the Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), a UKCRC Public Health Research Centre of Excellence. Funding from the British Heart Foundation, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, the National Institute for Health Research, and the Wellcome Trust, under the auspices of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration, is gratefully acknowledged.