A Quasi-Experimental Study of the Effects of an Outdoor Learning Program on Physical Activity Patterns of Children with a Migrant Background: the PASE Study

Introduction: Despite the recognized benefits of physical activity on health, most youth, especially those with a migrant background, do not meet movement guidelines. Outdoor learning is recognized as a promising intervention to address this issue. The objective of this quasi-experimental study was to measure the effects of the PASE (“Outdoors, Health and Environment”) outdoor learning program on the physical activity of students with a migrant background compared to a control group with similar sociocultural characteristics. Methods: In October 2019, 91 participants from six elementary grade 6 classes (47.3% female, age 11.61 ± 0.41) wore a validated accelerometer for 7 consecutive days. Three comparative analyses were performed: full week, school day, and activity domains. The Mann-Whitney U test for independent samples was used to compare the differences in means and Cohen’s d was calculated to obtain their effect sizes. Results: Analysis of the full week revealed no significant differences between groups. Analysis of school days without physical education classes showed that girls exposed to PASE spent a greater percentage of their time in MVPA than those in the control group (+4.30%, 95% CI = 1.93 to 6.68; p < 0.01) with a strong effect size ( d = 1.14). In the activity domain analysis, more time in MVPA was spent in PASE outdoor learning than in the regular classroom (+11.15%, 95% CI = 9.70 to 12.61; p < 0.01) with a strong effect size ( d = 3.63). Conclusion: Outdoor learning has positive effects on the physical activity of students with a migrant background during school hours. Further studies are needed to confirm these observations.