Table 1.
Characteristics of study participants, Alberta, Canada, 2013
| Girls (n = 562) | Boys (n = 392) | Total (n = 972)a | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 10.8 (0.4) | 10.9 (0.4)b | 10.9 (0.4) |
| BMI (kg/m2), mean (SD) | 19.4 (4.0) | 20.2 (4.5)b | 19.7 (4.2) |
| Weight statusc (%) | |||
| Normal | 58.8 | 50.2b | 54.2 |
| Overweight (not obese) | 21.7 | 20.0 | 20.6 |
| Obese | 19.5 | 30.0 | 25.2 |
| Parent’s education (%) | |||
| Secondary or less | 25.2 | 28.3b | 26.4 |
| College diploma | 37.0 | 36.0 | 36.5 |
| University or graduate | 38.0 | 35.9 | 37.0 |
| Household income (%) | |||
| ≤ $50,000 | 22.8 | 20.8b | 22.0 |
| $50,001–$75,000 | 13.8 | 12.5 | 13.3 |
| $75,001–$100,000 | 16.0 | 14.3 | 15.2 |
| ≥ $100,001 | 47.5 | 52.3 | 49.5 |
| School region (%) | |||
| Rural | 12.0 | 10.0 | 12.0 |
| Urban | 53.0 | 52.0 | 53.0 |
| Metropolitan | 35.0 | 35.0 | 35.0 |
| Physical activity (steps/day)d, mean (SD) | |||
| Typical weeke | 10,413 (5135) | 11,889 (6453)b | 11,011 (5751) |
| School days | 10,791 (4443) | 12,520 (5581)b | 11,483 (5008) |
| Non-school days | 9586 (6315) | 10,518 (7860)b | 9953 (6974) |
| Meet MVPA recommendationf (%) | |||
| School days | 34.0 | 48.6b | 40.0 |
| Non-school days | 28.7 | 33.0b | 30.0 |
SD Standard deviation, BMI body mass index (kg/m2), MVPA moderate-to-vigorous physical activity
aIncludes participants with missing data for sex (n = 18), BMI (n = 70), parent’s education (n = 60), and household income (n = 389)
bDifference between boys and girls is based on p < 0.05 of two-sample Student’s t test for continuous variables and chi-squared test for categorical variables
cBased on the WHO age- and sex-specific BMI z score cutoffs for children
dSteps between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. adjusted for non-wear time and missing data
eA typical week is defined as five school days and two non-school days. The average steps/day in a typical week for each participant was calculated as [(total steps/day on a school day × 5) + (total steps/day on a non-school day × 2)] / 7
fBased on 12,000 or more steps per day, which is approximately equivalent to 60 min of MVPA daily