Grant: DRA : Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral Program (CGRS D)

One in three children and adolescents in Canada are affected by overweight and obesity. Physical activity is a key factor in the management of overweight and obesity, yet children and adolescents are not meeting the daily recommendations. Aside from individual factors and factors in the family environment that influence physical activity (e.g., motivation, parental health behaviours), the school environment (e.g., school physical education access) also plays an important role. The aim of this project is to identify the factors in the school environment that can act as a barrier or enabler of physical activity for children and adolescents over time. Using data previously collected from a large Quebec-based survey on more than 10,000 students across more than 100 schools, we will map out the school environments and determine their relationship with students' physical activity and Body Mass Index (BMI). We can then make comparisons between schools on which factors relate to more favourable outcomes for physical activity and BMI. In the second phase, the same data will be used to determine how students' physical activity and BMI levels change over time (2013-present), depending on the identified school-level factors in phase 1. In both phases, we will also examine differences in physical activity and BMI in children belonging to marginalized groups (e.g., lower socioeconomic backgrounds, marginalized racial groups). Lastly in phase 3, we will lead 5-7 focus groups with 40-60 regional schoolteachers, principals, and administrators from 6-10 schools, to co-develop suggestions on how to improve the school physical activity environments. This work will help guide future research on policies to reduce school-level barriers and to understand how children and adolescents belonging to marginalized groups may be disproportionately affected by these barriers, ultimately improving the overall health and well-being of all children.