Should clocks move forward so kids can play outside longer?
November 9, 2011
The Canadian Press
A British study on kids’ physical activity might strike a chord here now that clocks have been set back an hour in most parts of Canada and the sun sets before dinnertime.
A team led by Anna Goodman at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine tracked 325 children aged eight to 11 for a total of 817 days spread over four seasons.
The kids wore accelerometers to record their body movements, and also kept a diary of their daily routines.
They had the highest overall level of activity — mainly outdoor play — when there were 14 or more hours of daylight, and physical activity levels were significantly lower when there were fewer daylight hours.
The researchers found the biggest difference in activity was in the period from 5 to 8 p.m., and the trend remained the same even after taking into account bad weather days.
Goodman says the study, published Wednesday in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, strengthens the public health argument for the Daylight Saving Bill in Britain, which proposes putting the clocks forward by an extra hour all year round.