Preschoolers’ Inhibitory Control

Abstract

Inhibitory control refers to the ability to resist distractions and exert self-control. Higher inhibitory control is associated with academic success and a healthy weight status among youth. Identifying other, health-related factors associated with inhibitory control is of value. Activity variables (such as physical activity [PA] and sleep) are associated with inhibitory control among adolescents and adults; less is known about these associations among preschool-aged children. PURPOSE: To examine associations among activity variables (PA and sleep duration) and pre-schoolers’ inhibitory control. METHODS: Sixty-four children (48% male; 75% Caucasian; mean [SD] age=4.3 [0.8] years; mean [SD] BMI percentile=61.4% [25.5]) wore an accelerometer for one week. Minutes per hour spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) were calculated. During the same week, participant’s parents reported the child’s sleep duration. Participants performed a computer task, which assessed inhibitory control. Response accuracy interference scores were calculated for the computer task, with higher interference scores indicating poorer inhibitory control. Regression models were used to examine associations among activity variables and interference scores. RESULTS: Regression models indicated a negative association between sleep duration and interference scores (R2=0.127, β=-.356, p=.01; n=58) and a positive association between MVPA and interference scores (R2=0.119, β=.344, p=.03; n=41). CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with previous findings, longer sleep duration was associated with better inhibitory control among young children. Contrary to observations among older youth and adults, higher PA was associated with poorer inhibitory control. It is plausible that among this age group, lower inhibitory control may result in a greater tendency to move, although the cross-sectional study design prohibits causal inference. Longitudinal research is needed to confirm or refute a causal relationship among these variables, and additional studies with larger, more diverse samples are needed to substantiate the findings. Funded by the North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine