Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Recess duration and available space are limited. To promote unstructured recess activity in high school from the perspective of time and space utilization, this case study aimed to examine the effects of an unstructured recess intervention involving a combination of spatial planning and a behavioural guidance strategy based on geographic information systems (GIS) on adolescent moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in an urban high school. METHODS: An urban high school outdoor environment was used as a case study with 485 students (mean age: 16.96 ± 0.71 years; boys: 47.2%). The effect of the intervention was assessed by a self-controlled experiment. The intervention combined the relocation of sports equipment and student activity maps, both designed using GIS. The number of participants engaging in physical activity behaviours was obtained through direct observation. Physical activity time was measured with accelerometers. Focus group interviews with students and school staff were used to explain the effects of the intervention in a semistructured manner. RESULTS: The number of students who participated in MVPA in school outdoor areas increased from 216 at baseline to 294 at follow-up; significant increases (p < 0.05) in the number of participants engaging in MVPA were observed in informal and formal sports areas. In terms of least-active students, posttest and follow-up assessments revealed significantly increased MVPA time (β = 0.90, p < 0.05); age and sex were not significant moderators in the intervention (Sex: β = -0.65, p > 0.05; Age: β = 0.16, p > 0.05); and recess duration was a significant moderator in the intervention (β = 1.84, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The combined spatial planning and behavioural guidance intervention for unstructured recess demonstrated the potential to increase the number of students engaging in MVPA and to enhance MVPA time among the least-active students. This cost-effective intervention holds promise for integration into high school recess activity programs.