Effect of Activity Type on Youth Physical Activity during Structured Activity Sessions

Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the effects of activity type and sex during structured after-school physical activity (PA) sessions. Methods: Accelerometer-based PA was measured during 6 different activities (4 traditional; 2 novel), as part of an after-school program for youth (N = 46). Results: Boys were found to obtain more PA than girls (+64.0 kcals) although the effects were not consistent across all activities. In particular, one novel activity (Kin-ball) eliminated sex-based differences in PA and produced the greatest amount of overall PA (~250 kcal). Conclusions: Structured activity sessions should consider the effects of activity type and sex, when attempting to increase PA in individuals that may be marginalized in traditional activities.