Exploring Context-specific Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Patterns Among Youth Enrolled in Kansas 4-H Programming
Denver M. Y. Brown, Peter Stoepker, Greg J. WelkPurpose
To characterize context-specific patterns of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior among Kansas youth in 4-H programming, and to examine differences and interactions by gender, grade, and urban/rural status.
Design
Cross-sectional, observational survey.
Setting
Online survey administered in April-May 2025 to youth participating in 4-H programming across Kansas, a Cooperative Extension-led community-based youth development program.
Sample
796 Kansas youth (ages 7-17 years; 53% female; 94% White; 70% rural).
Measures
Youth self-reported MVPA and sedentary behavior using the Youth Activity Profile, which provides accelerometer-calibrated estimates across six contexts: average daily, weekday, weekend, school-, and home-based MVPA, and home-based SB.
Analysis
Linear regression models examined main and interaction effects between gender, grade, and urban/rural status for each outcome.
Results
Participants averaged 67.6 minutes of daily MVPA and 4.2 hours of home-based sedentary behavior. Significant main effects of grade and gender were found across all outcomes (
Conclusion
While average MVPA levels met the 60-minute/day recommendation, age-related declines and persistent gender disparities – especially among high school girls – highlight the need for developmentally appropriate, gender-responsive physical activity promotion strategies within community-based youth programs such as 4-H.