ABSTRACT
Physical activity (PA) in children has been shown to decrease the level of cardiovascular disease risk factors and increase bone density.1 This has made children’s overall PA a fundamental part of health promotion policies in many countries.2 One strategy that is often used in Denmark and other Scandinavian countries is to try to increase the number of children participating in leisure-time club sport.3 However, studies on the effects of organized club sports on children’s total amount of PA show varying results.4 One study found that participating in club-organized sports did not strongly influence 6-10 year old children’s total amount of daily PA, but that activity levels during school recess and other contexts for self-organized play did as children spend many more hours each week in such contexts than they do participating in club sports.5 It is likely that different sports have different effects and influences on the total amount PA. The influence of club sports on children’s total amount of PA may vary due to the differing PA levels involved in different types of sports, but
perhaps also due to differences in how well the sport can be transferred to other contexts important for children’s self-organized physically active play, such as school recess.
