Health enhancing physical activity: Factors influencing engagement patterns in children

Physical inactivity and the development of increasingly sedentary lifestyles are recognised as a community health concern, the origins of which can be traced from childhood lifestyle behaviours. Physical activity engagement patterns in children are multidimensional and occupational therapists are philosophically well suited to profiling these activity patterns. To do so requires a broad understanding of the complex, interrelated contextual, interpersonal, intrapersonal and temporal aspects of occupational performance. In this paper, the SCOPE‐IT model (Synthesis of Child Occupational Performance and Environment — In Time) is used as a conceptual framework for describing these factors. This is undertaken with the purpose of alerting occupational therapists and others who work with children to key factors that influence the development of healthy lifestyles where there is an optimal balance between physically active and sedentary pursuits. Achieving temporal balance in core areas of occupational performance underpins physical and mental health and has implications for disease prevention.