Publications by authors named "Sarah Churchward"
Background: Physical activity is essential for long-term health, yet data from before the COVID-19 pandemic showed only 41% of 10- to 11-year-olds met the UK government's physical activity recommendations. Children's physical activity was limited during the national COVID-19 lockdowns. It is important to measure children's physical activity in the recovery period to assess the short- and medium-term impact of the lockdowns.
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- The study investigates how motivation influences physical activity levels in parents and caregivers of primary school children in England, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
- It employs a mixed-methods approach, collecting quantitative data through surveys and accelerometer measurements across multiple waves, as well as qualitative data from interviews with parents about their exercise motivations and behaviors.
- Findings indicate that intrinsic motivation and identified regulation (personal value placed on exercise) are linked to increased physical activity, while amotivation (lack of motivation) correlates with lower activity levels.
Background: The COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing measures, including school closures, had a major impact on children's physical activity in England, with data showing an initial reduction in activity in the short-term post-lockdown phase of the pandemic followed by a recovery on average in the medium-term post-lockdown period. The school environment is an important context for child physical activity. The purpose of this study is to understand the changes that took place to school physical activity environments once schools reopened after lockdowns.
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- The study examined how children's participation in active clubs in England was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, utilizing a mix of questionnaire data and qualitative interviews.
- Findings revealed that school-based club participation increased post-pandemic, while community-based club participation decreased, with lower attendance frequency overall.
- Economic factors influenced participation rates, with children from lower-educated households and girls attending community clubs less, and over half of the school clubs offering free sessions to parents.
Article Synopsis
- The COVID-19 pandemic affected children's physical activity levels, which have only partially rebounded to pre-pandemic numbers, with 41% still not meeting activity guidelines in the UK.
- A study involving interviews and focus groups revealed themes including increased screen time, disrupted social and emotional development, and mental health challenges for families, leading to increased barriers for children's activity.
- The findings suggest a "new normal" for children's physical activity characterized by structured activities, with particular concerns for girls and children from lower socio-economic backgrounds facing more significant challenges.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in marked impacts on children's physical activity, with large reductions in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) reported during lockdowns. Previous evidence showed children's activity levels were lower and sedentary time higher immediately post-COVID lockdown, while there was little change in parental physical activity. We need to know if these patterns persist.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Active-6 is exploring how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted physical activity behaviour among Year 6 children (aged 10-11 years) and their parents in Southwest England. Initial findings from the Active-6 project have shown a 7-8 min decrease in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and an increase in sedentary behaviour among children following the easing of restrictions in the UK in latter half of 2021. This finding suggests that the pandemic has had a persistent impact on child physical activity behaviour.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Restrictions due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic reduced physical activity provision for both children and their parents. Recent studies have reported decreases in physical activity levels during lockdown restrictions, but these were largely reliant on self-report methods, with data collected via unrepresentative self-report surveys. The post-pandemic impacts on children's activity levels remain unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: This study evaluated the change in the concerns, wellbeing, and lifestyle behaviors of informal caregivers of people with cancer attending Penny Brohn UK's Living Well Course (LWC), a self-management education intervention.
Design: A pre-postcourse design collected self-reported quantitative and qualitative data from informal caregivers attending a LWC.
Setting/location: Penny Brohn UK is a United Kingdom-based charity (not-for-profit) providing specialist integrative, whole person support, free of charge, to people affected by cancer.