{"id":3599,"date":"2020-10-14T12:47:51","date_gmt":"2020-10-14T19:47:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/"},"modified":"2023-11-19T12:41:29","modified_gmt":"2023-11-19T20:41:29","slug":"study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/","title":{"rendered":"Study: COVID-19 pandemic widens exercise gap between younger schoolchildren and adolescents"},"content":{"rendered":"\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"text-container\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--eyebrow\">\n\n    \n  <span>Press Release<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Study: COVID-19 pandemic widens exercise gap between younger schoolchildren and adolescents<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>Parents estimate children pursued less physical activity and sat more, according to Keck School of Medicine of USC research<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"meta\">\n                  <span class=\"author\">Wayne Lewis<\/span>\n        \n                  <span class=\"date\">October 14, 2020<\/span>\n              <\/div>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--embed\">\n\n    \n  <div class=\"heateor_sss_sharing_container heateor_sss_horizontal_sharing\" data-heateor-ss-offset=\"0\" data-heateor-sss-href='https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/'><div class=\"heateor_sss_sharing_ul\"><a aria-label=\"Facebook\" class=\"heateor_sss_facebook\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fkeck.usc.edu%2Fnews%2Fstudy-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents%2F\" title=\"Facebook\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-size:32px!important;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle\"><span class=\"heateor_sss_svg\" style=\"background-color:#0765FE;width:32px;height:32px;display:inline-block;opacity:1;float:left;font-size:32px;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align:middle;background-repeat:repeat;overflow:hidden;padding:0;cursor:pointer;box-sizing:content-box\"><svg style=\"display:block;\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\"><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M28 16c0-6.627-5.373-12-12-12S4 9.373 4 16c0 5.628 3.875 10.35 9.101 11.647v-7.98h-2.474V16H13.1v-1.58c0-4.085 1.849-5.978 5.859-5.978.76 0 2.072.15 2.608.298v3.325c-.283-.03-.775-.045-1.386-.045-1.967 0-2.728.745-2.728 2.683V16h3.92l-.673 3.667h-3.247v8.245C23.395 27.195 28 22.135 28 16Z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><a aria-label=\"X\" class=\"heateor_sss_button_x\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Study%3A%20COVID-19%20pandemic%20widens%20exercise%20gap%20between%20younger%20schoolchildren%20and%20adolescents&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fkeck.usc.edu%2Fnews%2Fstudy-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents%2F\" title=\"X\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-size:32px!important;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle\"><span class=\"heateor_sss_svg heateor_sss_s__default heateor_sss_s_x\" style=\"background-color:#2a2a2a;width:32px;height:32px;display:inline-block;opacity:1;float:left;font-size:32px;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align:middle;background-repeat:repeat;overflow:hidden;padding:0;cursor:pointer;box-sizing:content-box\"><svg width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" style=\"display:block;\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\"><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M21.751 7h3.067l-6.7 7.658L26 25.078h-6.172l-4.833-6.32-5.531 6.32h-3.07l7.167-8.19L6 7h6.328l4.37 5.777L21.75 7Zm-1.076 16.242h1.7L11.404 8.74H9.58l11.094 14.503Z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><a aria-label=\"Linkedin\" class=\"heateor_sss_button_linkedin\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fkeck.usc.edu%2Fnews%2Fstudy-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents%2F\" title=\"Linkedin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-size:32px!important;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle\"><span class=\"heateor_sss_svg heateor_sss_s__default heateor_sss_s_linkedin\" style=\"background-color:#0077b5;width:32px;height:32px;display:inline-block;opacity:1;float:left;font-size:32px;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align:middle;background-repeat:repeat;overflow:hidden;padding:0;cursor:pointer;box-sizing:content-box\"><svg style=\"display:block;\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\"><path d=\"M6.227 12.61h4.19v13.48h-4.19V12.61zm2.095-6.7a2.43 2.43 0 0 1 0 4.86c-1.344 0-2.428-1.09-2.428-2.43s1.084-2.43 2.428-2.43m4.72 6.7h4.02v1.84h.058c.56-1.058 1.927-2.176 3.965-2.176 4.238 0 5.02 2.792 5.02 6.42v7.395h-4.183v-6.56c0-1.564-.03-3.574-2.178-3.574-2.18 0-2.514 1.7-2.514 3.46v6.668h-4.187V12.61z\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><a aria-label=\"Whatsapp\" class=\"heateor_sss_whatsapp\" href=\"https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=Study%3A%20COVID-19%20pandemic%20widens%20exercise%20gap%20between%20younger%20schoolchildren%20and%20adolescents%20https%3A%2F%2Fkeck.usc.edu%2Fnews%2Fstudy-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents%2F\" title=\"Whatsapp\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-size:32px!important;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle\"><span class=\"heateor_sss_svg\" style=\"background-color:#55eb4c;width:32px;height:32px;display:inline-block;opacity:1;float:left;font-size:32px;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align:middle;background-repeat:repeat;overflow:hidden;padding:0;cursor:pointer;box-sizing:content-box\"><svg style=\"display:block;\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" viewBox=\"-6 -5 40 40\"><path class=\"heateor_sss_svg_stroke heateor_sss_no_fill\" stroke=\"#fff\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\" d=\"M 11.579798566743314 24.396926207859085 A 10 10 0 1 0 6.808479557110079 20.73576436351046\"><\/path><path d=\"M 7 19 l -1 6 l 6 -1\" class=\"heateor_sss_no_fill heateor_sss_svg_stroke\" stroke=\"#fff\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\"><\/path><path d=\"M 10 10 q -1 8 8 11 c 5 -1 0 -6 -1 -3 q -4 -3 -5 -5 c 4 -2 -1 -5 -1 -4\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><a aria-label=\"Telegram\" class=\"heateor_sss_button_telegram\" href=\"https:\/\/telegram.me\/share\/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fkeck.usc.edu%2Fnews%2Fstudy-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents%2F&#038;text=Study%3A%20COVID-19%20pandemic%20widens%20exercise%20gap%20between%20younger%20schoolchildren%20and%20adolescents\" title=\"Telegram\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-size:32px!important;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle\"><span class=\"heateor_sss_svg heateor_sss_s__default heateor_sss_s_telegram\" style=\"background-color:#3da5f1;width:32px;height:32px;display:inline-block;opacity:1;float:left;font-size:32px;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align:middle;background-repeat:repeat;overflow:hidden;padding:0;cursor:pointer;box-sizing:content-box\"><svg style=\"display:block;\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\"><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M25.515 6.896L6.027 14.41c-1.33.534-1.322 1.276-.243 1.606l5 1.56 1.72 5.66c.226.625.115.873.77.873.506 0 .73-.235 1.012-.51l2.43-2.363 5.056 3.734c.93.514 1.602.25 1.834-.863l3.32-15.638c.338-1.363-.52-1.98-1.41-1.577z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><a aria-label=\"PrintFriendly\" class=\"heateor_sss_button_printfriendly\" href=\"https:\/\/www.printfriendly.com\/print?url=https%3A%2F%2Fkeck.usc.edu%2Fnews%2Fstudy-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents%2F&#038;partner=a2a\" title=\"PrintFriendly\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-size:32px!important;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle\"><span class=\"heateor_sss_svg heateor_sss_s__default heateor_sss_s_printfriendly\" style=\"background-color:#61d1d5;width:32px;height:32px;display:inline-block;opacity:1;float:left;font-size:32px;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align:middle;background-repeat:repeat;overflow:hidden;padding:0;cursor:pointer;box-sizing:content-box\"><svg style=\"display:block;\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\"><g stroke=\"#fff\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\"><path fill=\"none\" d=\"M22.562 19.588v4.373H9.438v-4.37h13.124zm-13.124 1.53H6.375c-.483 0-.875-.313-.875-.7v-7.35c0-.387.392-.7.875-.7h19.25c.482 0 .875.313.875.7v7.35c0 .387-.393.7-.876.7h-3.062\"><\/path><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M22.562 12.32V8.04H9.436v4.28\"><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span><\/a><a aria-label=\"Copy Link\" class=\"heateor_sss_button_copy_link\" title=\"Copy Link\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault()\" style=\"font-size:32px!important;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle\"><span class=\"heateor_sss_svg heateor_sss_s__default heateor_sss_s_copy_link\" style=\"background-color:#ffc112;width:32px;height:32px;display:inline-block;opacity:1;float:left;font-size:32px;box-shadow:none;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding:0 4px;vertical-align:middle;background-repeat:repeat;overflow:hidden;padding:0;cursor:pointer;box-sizing:content-box\"><svg style=\"display:block;\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" viewBox=\"-4 -4 40 40\"><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M24.412 21.177c0-.36-.126-.665-.377-.917l-2.804-2.804a1.235 1.235 0 0 0-.913-.378c-.377 0-.7.144-.97.43.026.028.11.11.255.25.144.14.24.236.29.29s.117.14.2.256c.087.117.146.232.177.344.03.112.046.236.046.37 0 .36-.126.666-.377.918a1.25 1.25 0 0 1-.918.377 1.4 1.4 0 0 1-.373-.047 1.062 1.062 0 0 1-.345-.175 2.268 2.268 0 0 1-.256-.2 6.815 6.815 0 0 1-.29-.29c-.14-.142-.223-.23-.25-.254-.297.28-.445.607-.445.984 0 .36.126.664.377.916l2.778 2.79c.243.243.548.364.917.364.36 0 .665-.118.917-.35l1.982-1.97c.252-.25.378-.55.378-.9zm-9.477-9.504c0-.36-.126-.665-.377-.917l-2.777-2.79a1.235 1.235 0 0 0-.913-.378c-.35 0-.656.12-.917.364L7.967 9.92c-.254.252-.38.553-.38.903 0 .36.126.665.38.917l2.802 2.804c.242.243.547.364.916.364.377 0 .7-.14.97-.418-.026-.027-.11-.11-.255-.25s-.24-.235-.29-.29a2.675 2.675 0 0 1-.2-.255 1.052 1.052 0 0 1-.176-.344 1.396 1.396 0 0 1-.047-.37c0-.36.126-.662.377-.914.252-.252.557-.377.917-.377.136 0 .26.015.37.046.114.03.23.09.346.175.117.085.202.153.256.2.054.05.15.148.29.29.14.146.222.23.25.258.294-.278.442-.606.442-.983zM27 21.177c0 1.078-.382 1.99-1.146 2.736l-1.982 1.968c-.745.75-1.658 1.12-2.736 1.12-1.087 0-2.004-.38-2.75-1.143l-2.777-2.79c-.75-.747-1.12-1.66-1.12-2.737 0-1.106.392-2.046 1.183-2.818l-1.186-1.185c-.774.79-1.708 1.186-2.805 1.186-1.078 0-1.995-.376-2.75-1.13l-2.803-2.81C5.377 12.82 5 11.903 5 10.826c0-1.08.382-1.993 1.146-2.738L8.128 6.12C8.873 5.372 9.785 5 10.864 5c1.087 0 2.004.382 2.75 1.146l2.777 2.79c.75.747 1.12 1.66 1.12 2.737 0 1.105-.392 2.045-1.183 2.817l1.186 1.186c.774-.79 1.708-1.186 2.805-1.186 1.078 0 1.995.377 2.75 1.132l2.804 2.804c.754.755 1.13 1.672 1.13 2.75z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"heateorSssClear\"><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        \n  <\/div>\n\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n        <figure>\n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/iStock-family-exercise-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/iStock-family-exercise-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n        alt=\"Family wears face masks during COVID-19 pandemic\"\n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n          <figcaption>Walking is a great form of exercise that the whole family can do. (Photo\/iStock)<\/figcaption>\n    <\/figure>\n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\r\n\r\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text white\"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n        \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Patterns set during childhood can influence adult life profoundly, and exercise habits are no exception. With the U.S. seeing a 20-year trend of increased risk of being overweight or obese among children, there\u2019s reason for concern about both short- and long-term effects on health at a population level.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12889-020-09429-3\">Recent USC findings<\/a> \u2014 from one of the first empirical studies of physical activity in children based on data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic \u2014 suggest that the effects of the outbreak may exacerbate the problem.<\/p>\n<p>Parents reported that children were less physically active and more sedentary during April and May compared to February. Importantly, an existing trend, wherein older kids tend to exercise less than younger ones, worsened during the first months when various lockdowns were put in place to slow the coronavirus\u2019s spread.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a pretty big concern that kids get much less physically active as they get older,\u201d said lead author <a href=\"https:\/\/preventivemedicine.usc.edu\/Genevieve-Dunton\/\">Genevieve Dunton<\/a>, PhD, MPH, professor of preventive medicine and psychology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing that, with the pandemic, these declines may be happening steeper and sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The study was published Sept. 4 in the journal <a href=\"https:\/\/bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12889-020-09429-3\">BMC Public Health<\/a>. Other authors were USC doctoral students Bridgette Do and Shirlene Wang.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_122305\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-122305\" style=\"width: 174px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/dunton-headshot.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-122305 \" src=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/dunton-headshot.jpg\" alt=\"dunton-headshot\" width=\"174\" height=\"232\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-122305\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Genevieve Dunton<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Effects on children\u2019s health could be grave if the routine of exercising less and sitting more outlives the pandemic. In the short term, this could lead to declines in mental health, declines in attention span and increases in sleep disruption. Long-term consequences may include increases in childhood obesity, and an attendant rise in risk for metabolic syndrome and type\u00a02 diabetes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf the pandemic is resetting children\u2019s trajectories for physical activity, that can be difficult to change,\u201d said Dunton, who also is the director of the <a href=\"https:\/\/reach.usc.edu\/\">USC Real-Time Eating Activity and Children\u2019s Health (REACH) Lab<\/a> and a professor of psychology at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. \u201cIt\u2019s much easier to prevent it than to try to treat it later on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sharper decline in exercise among tweens <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The study examined physical activity and sedentary behavior in 211 children between the ages of 5 and 13, with participants drawn from 35\u00a0states and the District of Columbia.<\/p>\n<p>In April and May, parents and legal guardians completed an online survey. Among the questions, the researchers asked about perceived changes in time spent exercising and time spent sitting, comparing February (before COVID-related lockdowns) to the previous week.<\/p>\n<p>Among parents of children aged 5 to 8, about 54% perceived their children to be exercising somewhat or much less from the pre-COVID period to the early-COVID period, while about 66% of parents of children aged 9 to 13 gave the same answer. About 64% of parents of younger children reported that their kids stayed seated somewhat or much more, compared with 82% among parents of older children.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis really underscores that COVID-19 may be exacerbating age-related declines in physical activity,\u201d Dunton said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Not all groups may be affected equally<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Some findings suggest that children who are raised in low-income households or who are ethnic or racial minorities may be at particular risk for exercising less and sitting more during the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>Looking at the location where physical activity takes place, parents reported a significant increase in the proportion of their kids\u2019 exercise at home or in the garage and on sidewalks or roads in their immediate neighborhoods. And about one-third of children used streaming services to take part in activity classes.<\/p>\n<p>These results may indicate a detriment to children in families who lack space in and around their dwellings; who live in more-densely packed areas with greater traffic volume and safety issues; or who can\u2019t afford the internet service or devices needed to connect with streaming content.<\/p>\n<p>While the BMC Public Health study did not set out to answer questions about race or ethnicity, her concerns are backed up by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/engage\/coe\/article-details\/5f0fa7c21a825800114beb69\">another study<\/a> she led examining pandemic-related changes in physical activity in adults. Currently in preprint while undergoing peer review, the research showed that, while adults walked less and recorded lower step counts overall, the decrease was greater in Latinos and low-income participants.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s a big issue,\u201d Dunton said. \u201cThese secondary impacts on health behaviors really echo disparities that we\u2019re seeing across the board with COVID-19, where socially and economically disadvantaged groups are disproportionately impacted in infection rates and death rates.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Getting kids moving despite the pandemic<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>According to parents\u2019 reports, kids\u2019 top modes of exercise the day before the survey in April or May were free play and unstructured activity, seen in 90\u00a0percent of children, and going for a walk, seen in 55\u00a0percent. For Dunton, these findings may open some possibilities for reversing the worrying decrease in physical activity.<\/p>\n<p>With walks such a popular activity, parents could consider redirecting time spent with their kids toward walks and other forms of casual exercise.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFamily-based activities may be an incredible opportunity,\u201d Dunton said.<\/p>\n<p>Given the important role of free play and unstructured activities for kids, she suggests that parents find ways to further encourage this behavior. Where public spaces such as parks are open, an adult could take small groups of kids on regular outings where they get the chance to run around and play together in an unorganized manner \u2014 while complying with measures to stifle contagion, whether it\u2019s in the context of play that is masked and physically distant or pods of two or more families that socialize exclusively and eschew contact with others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the main things we see across studies is that kids are more physically active when they\u2019re around other kids,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are a lot of activities that children can do while staying six feet apart. The idea is just to get kids outside and running around.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":163,"featured_media":3600,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[81,169],"class_list":["post-3599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press-release","tag-department-of-population-and-public-health-sciences","tag-latest"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Study: COVID-19 pandemic widens exercise gap between younger schoolchildren and adolescents<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Study: COVID-19 pandemic widens exercise gap between younger schoolchildren and adolescents\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Newsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/KECKschoolUSC\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-10-14T19:47:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-11-19T20:41:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/iStock-family-exercise.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1254\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"836\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Wayne Lewis\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@KeckSchool_USC\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@KeckSchool_USC\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Wayne Lewis\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/48fa259e710a49f10faf6767df2ec03d\"},\"headline\":\"Study: COVID-19 pandemic widens exercise gap between younger schoolchildren and adolescents\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-14T19:47:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-11-19T20:41:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":11,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/68\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/iStock-family-exercise.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Department of Population and Public Health Sciences\",\"Latest\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Press Release\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\\\/\",\"name\":\"Study: COVID-19 pandemic widens exercise gap between younger schoolchildren and adolescents\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/68\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/iStock-family-exercise.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-14T19:47:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-11-19T20:41:29+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/68\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/iStock-family-exercise.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/68\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/iStock-family-exercise.jpg\",\"width\":1254,\"height\":836,\"caption\":\"A happy family wear face masks while walking in their neighborhood during the COVID-19 pandemic.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Study: COVID-19 pandemic widens exercise gap between younger schoolchildren and adolescents\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"Newsroom\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Keck School of Medicine of USC\",\"alternateName\":\"Keck School of Medicine\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/68\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/keck-school-of-medicine-logo-696-square.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/68\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/keck-school-of-medicine-logo-696-square.jpg\",\"width\":696,\"height\":696,\"caption\":\"Keck School of Medicine of USC\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/KECKschoolUSC\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/KeckSchool_USC\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/school\\\/keckschoolusc\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/KeckSchoolUSC\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UCpL1E1W5ZTfkc5iihwLSFEA\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@keckschoolusc\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/48fa259e710a49f10faf6767df2ec03d\",\"name\":\"Wayne Lewis\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d925d1e66353f1f533d87f11a37863e92e830d474b7f57a73bbf8e889a119765?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d925d1e66353f1f533d87f11a37863e92e830d474b7f57a73bbf8e889a119765?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d925d1e66353f1f533d87f11a37863e92e830d474b7f57a73bbf8e889a119765?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Wayne Lewis\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/author\\\/wayne_lewis\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Study: COVID-19 pandemic widens exercise gap between younger schoolchildren and adolescents","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Study: COVID-19 pandemic widens exercise gap between younger schoolchildren and adolescents","og_url":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/","og_site_name":"Newsroom","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/KECKschoolUSC\/","article_published_time":"2020-10-14T19:47:51+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-11-19T20:41:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1254,"height":836,"url":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/iStock-family-exercise.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Wayne Lewis","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@KeckSchool_USC","twitter_site":"@KeckSchool_USC","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/"},"author":{"name":"Wayne Lewis","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/48fa259e710a49f10faf6767df2ec03d"},"headline":"Study: COVID-19 pandemic widens exercise gap between younger schoolchildren and adolescents","datePublished":"2020-10-14T19:47:51+00:00","dateModified":"2023-11-19T20:41:29+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/"},"wordCount":11,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/iStock-family-exercise.jpg","keywords":["Department of Population and Public Health Sciences","Latest"],"articleSection":["Press Release"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/","url":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/","name":"Study: COVID-19 pandemic widens exercise gap between younger schoolchildren and adolescents","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/iStock-family-exercise.jpg","datePublished":"2020-10-14T19:47:51+00:00","dateModified":"2023-11-19T20:41:29+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/iStock-family-exercise.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/iStock-family-exercise.jpg","width":1254,"height":836,"caption":"A happy family wear face masks while walking in their neighborhood during the COVID-19 pandemic."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/study-covid-19-pandemic-widens-exercise-gap-between-younger-schoolchildren-and-adolescents\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Study: COVID-19 pandemic widens exercise gap between younger schoolchildren and adolescents"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/","name":"Newsroom","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#organization","name":"Keck School of Medicine of USC","alternateName":"Keck School of Medicine","url":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/keck-school-of-medicine-logo-696-square.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/keck-school-of-medicine-logo-696-square.jpg","width":696,"height":696,"caption":"Keck School of Medicine of USC"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/KECKschoolUSC\/","https:\/\/x.com\/KeckSchool_USC","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/keckschoolusc\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/KeckSchoolUSC\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCpL1E1W5ZTfkc5iihwLSFEA","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@keckschoolusc"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/48fa259e710a49f10faf6767df2ec03d","name":"Wayne Lewis","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d925d1e66353f1f533d87f11a37863e92e830d474b7f57a73bbf8e889a119765?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d925d1e66353f1f533d87f11a37863e92e830d474b7f57a73bbf8e889a119765?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d925d1e66353f1f533d87f11a37863e92e830d474b7f57a73bbf8e889a119765?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Wayne Lewis"},"url":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/author\/wayne_lewis\/"}]}},"author_meta":{"display_name":"Wayne Lewis","author_link":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/author\/wayne_lewis\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/iStock-family-exercise-300x200.jpg","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/category\/press-release\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Press Release<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Press Release<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/category\/press-release\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Department of Population and Public Health Sciences<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/category\/press-release\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Latest<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Department of Population and Public Health Sciences<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Latest<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 5 years ago","modified":"Updated 2 years ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on October 14, 2020","modified":"Updated on November 19, 2023"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on October 14, 2020 12:47 pm","modified":"Updated on November 19, 2023 12:41 pm"},"featured_img_caption":"A happy family wear face masks while walking in their neighborhood during the COVID-19 pandemic.","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/163"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3599"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3599\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}