Abstract
BackgroundLittle evidence exists on the physical activity and sedentary time of Canadian toddlers; this study objectively measured such behaviors and compared participants’ activity levels to national guidelines. Levels of screen-viewing among toddlers were also explored.MethodsForty toddlers (mean age = 25.7 months) wore Actical accelerometers for seven consecutive days (15 s epoch). Parents/guardians completed a wear-time log and a demographic and screen-viewing questionnaire. Descriptive analyses were used to determine participants’ levels of physical activity and sedentary time, to identify whether toddlers were meeting physical activity/sedentary guidelines, and to explore demographic variables. T-tests were used to assess whether toddlers’ activity levels differed based on cut-points applied and various demographic and screen-related variables. Regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between toddlers’ sedentary time and screen-viewing levels.ResultsToddlers engaged in 37.27 (SD = 3.79) to 49.40 (SD = 3.29) mins/hr of sedentary time, 9.79 (SD = 2.90) to 18.78 (SD = 3.22) mins/hr of light-intensity physical activity (LPA), 0.82 (SD = 0.72) to 3.95 (SD = 1.93) mins/hr of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), and 10.60 (SD =3.29) to 22.73 (SD = 3.97) mins/hr of total physical activity (TPA), based on the Trost et al. and the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) cut-points respectively; these rates were significantly different (p <.001). On at least 1 day, 17.5 % (Trost et al. cut-points) and 97.5 % (CHMS cut-points) of the sample met or exceeded the Canadian physical activity guidelines. No statistically significant differences in sedentary time or physical activity (all intensities) based on sex were reported (p <.001); however, LPA (CHMS cut-points) did significantly differ based on childcare attendance (p <.05). Approximately 93.2 % of participants watched television, and 56.8 % utilized computers. Only 18.8 and 25.0 % of children under 2 years and 70.8 and 62.5 % of 2–3 years olds met the screen-use recommendation of the sedentary behavior guidelines on weekdays and weekend days, respectively.Discussion and conclusionThe implications of this work suggest that a greater understanding of toddlers’ activity patterns is needed; additional mechanisms of promoting active behaviors among this group should be explored.
Highlights
Little evidence exists on the physical activity and sedentary time of Canadian toddlers; this study objectively measured such behaviors and compared participants’ activity levels to national guidelines
In an effort to target a geographically-representative sample, parents/guardians of participants were recruited at a mother and child exhibition, at various playgroups offered by the Ontario Early Years Centers, and via posters placed in locations frequented by parents/guardians and young children
Participants were asked to wear an accelerometer for seven consecutive days (i.e., 5 weekdays and 2 weekend days; Monday to Sunday) during all waking hours; parents/guardians were asked to fit their child with the device upon them waking in the morning, and to remove it prior to their bedtime
Summary
Little evidence exists on the physical activity and sedentary time of Canadian toddlers; this study objectively measured such behaviors and compared participants’ activity levels to national guidelines. Physical activity plays a pivotal role in the overall health and well-being of children. Among young children under the age of 5 years, regular physical activity has been linked to decreases in cardiovascular risk [1] as well as improvements in motor development [2], and psychosocial and cognitive factors [3]. Based on recently published literature, there are considerable variability in the prevalence estimates of young children’s measured physical activity [4,5,6]. Investigations into the physical activity and sedentary behaviors of toddlers (i.e., 18–29 months) are limited. Only a small number of studies have been conducted to examine their physical activity behaviors, where one relied on parent proxy report [7], two on direct observation [8, 9], and four on objective measures [10,11,12,13,14], where the single Canadian study assessed toddlers’ physical activity and sedentary levels during childcare hours only [13]
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