Physical Activity In Preschool-aged Children Research Articles

The Relationship Between Hispanic Parents and Their Preschool-Aged Children's Physical Activity

The goal of this study was to examine activity pattern associations between Hispanic parents and their preschool-aged children. We examined baseline data collected as part of a randomized controlled trial. Self-defined Hispanic parents with children aged 3 to 5 years were randomly assigned to either a weekly healthy lifestyle group (intervention) or a monthly school-readiness group (control) for 3 months. There were no weight eligibility criteria. All participants were instructed to wear an accelerometer for up to 7 consecutive days to measure physical activity. Of the 106 dyads enrolled in the study, 80 children and 85 parents provided useable actigraphy data. Mean percentage of time spent in sedentary behaviors was 82.0% (SD: 10.4) for parents and 69.8% (SD: 18.5) for preschool-aged children. Percentage of awake time per day spent in sedentary behavior was strongly correlated for parents and children (r = 0.597; P < .001). Correlations between activity level were large (r = 0.895 and 0.739 for low and moderate activity levels, respectively), except for vigorous activity level, for which the parent-child correlation was nonsignificant (P = .64) because of a near-0 level of vigorous parental activity. Child's age (P = .81) and gender (P = .43) were nonsignificant predictors of child activity levels. These results suggest that parental activity levels are a powerful explanation of preschool-aged child activity levels, except for vigorous activity, which children do on their own without parental participation. Hispanic parents play a critical role in setting physical activity patterns in their children.

The Relationship Between Hispanic Parents and Their Preschool-Aged Children's Physical Activity

The Relationship Between Hispanic Parents and Their Preschool-Aged Children's Physical Activity

Effects of Child Care Policy and Environment on Physical Activity

Child care centers differ systematically with respect to the quality and quantity of physical activity they provide, suggesting that center-level policies and practices, as well as the center's physical environment, are important influences on children's physical activity behavior. To summarize and critically evaluate the extant peer-reviewed literature on the influence of child care policy and environment on physical activity in preschool-aged children. A computer database search identified seven relevant studies that were categorized into three broad areas: cross-sectional studies investigating the impact of selected center-level policies and practices on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), studies correlating specific attributes of the outdoor play environment with the level and intensity of MVPA, and studies in which a specific center-level policy or environmental attribute was experimentally manipulated and evaluated for changes in MVPA. Staff education and training, as well as staff behavior on the playground, seem to be salient influences on MVPA in preschoolers. Lower playground density (less children per square meter) and the presence of vegetation and open play areas also seem to be positive influences on MVPA. However, not all studies found these attributes to be significant. The availability and quality of portable play equipment, not the amount or type of fixed play equipment, significantly influenced MVPA levels. Emerging evidence suggests that several policy and environmental factors contribute to the marked between-center variability in physical activity and sedentary behavior. Intervention studies targeting these factors are thus warranted.

Best-Practice Guidelines for Physical Activity at Child Care

Research has indicated that the child care center is a very strong predictor of preschool-aged children's physical activity levels, making this an important setting to help young children obtain physical activity that is appropriate for their health and development. However, some evidence suggests that organized child care may not adequately support children's physical activity needs. Although many organizations provide recommendations, guidelines, or standards for motor skill development and physical activity opportunities, no set of guidelines exist that directly target the overall physical activity environment at child care. Because of the lack of comprehensive recommendations, the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-assessment for Child Care best-practice guidelines for healthy weight development were created on the basis of an extensive review of existing guidelines, research evidence, and expert review. The purpose of this article is to present these physical activity best-practice guidelines and provide data on how these guidelines compare to current practice in a large sample (N = 96) of child care centers in North Carolina. These best-practice guidelines include recommendations for 8 unique components of the child care environment, including active opportunities, fixed play environment, portable play environment, sedentary opportunities, sedentary environment, staff behavior, staff training/education, and physical activity policies. Our results showed that only a few of the best-practice guidelines were achieved by a majority of the 96 North Carolina child care centers that participated in this study. Establishing comprehensive guidelines for physical activity at child care could result in higher activity levels and healthier children, but more research is needed.

The challenge of understanding and assessing physical activity in preschool-age children: Thinking beyond the framework of intensity, duration and frequency of activity

The physical activity behavior of young preschool-aged children is different from that seen in older children and adults, due in part to biological, psychosocial and cognitive immaturity. This paper: (a) provides an overview the relevant development of young children in relation to physical activity; and (b) outlines the relationship between child development, play, and physical activity in young children. Understanding, assessing and promoting physical activity in young children should include identification of contextual factors such as developmental stage and aspects of play.

L’activité physique des enfants d’âge préscolaire — somme et méthode?Cet article est tiré d’un supplément intituléAdvancing physical activity measurement and guidelines in Canada: a scientific review and evidence-based foundation for the future of Canadian physical activity guidelines(Favoriser les lignes directrices et la mesure de l’activité physique au Canada: examen scientifique et justification selon les données probantes pour l’avenir des lignes

Alarming trends in childhood obesity even among preschool children have re-focused attention on the importance of physical activity in this age group. With this increased attention comes the need to identify the amount and type of physical activity appropriate for optimal development of preschool children. The purpose of this paper is to provide the scientific evidence to support a link between physical activity and biological and psychosocial development during early childhood (ages 2-5 years). To do so, we summarize pertinent literature informing the nature of the physical activity required to promote healthy physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development during these early years. A particular focus is on the interaction between physical activity and motor skill acquisition. Special emphasis is also placed on the nature of physical activity that promotes healthy weight gain during this period of childhood. The paper also discusses the strongest determinants of physical activity in preschool-age children, including the role of the child's environment (e.g., family, child-care, and socio-economic status). We provide recommendations for physical activity based on the best available evidence, and identify future research needs.

Physical activity for preschool children — how much and how?This article is part of a supplement entitledAdvancing physical activity measurement and guidelines in Canada: a scientific review and evidence-based foundation for the future of Canadian physical activity guidelinesco-published byApplied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolismand theCanadian Journal of Public Health. It may be cited as Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 32(Suppl. 2E) or

The aim of this review is to provide a scientific update on evidence related to the biological and psycho-social health benefits of physical activity in school-aged children and youth. To accomplish this aim, the first part of the paper reviews existing physical activity guidelines for school-aged children and youth, with an emphasis placed on how Canada's guidelines compare and contrast with those of other countries and organizations. The paper then provides an overview of physical activity levels of Canadian children and youth, which indicates that few Canadian youngsters meet current physical activity recommendations. The next section of the paper summarizes the literature that informs how much physical activity is required to promote health and well-being in children and youth. The paper then provides suggestions on modifications that could be made to Canada's physical activity guidelines for children and youth. Specifically, consideration should be given to setting both minimal (>/=60 min/d) and optimal (up to several hours per day) physical activity targets. The final section identifies future research needs. In this section, a need is noted for comprehensive dose-response studies of physical activity and health in the paediatric age group.

一軸加速度計を用いた幼児の身体活動量の評価精度

The accuracy of a uniaxial accelerometer for assessing physical activity in preschool-aged children was assessed by using an indirect calorimeter which provides the physical activity ratio (PAR) for free living activities. Subjects were 5- to 6-yr-old Japanese girls and boys (n=24, 6.1±0.3 years). PAR was assessed for nine activities (lying down, watching a video while sitting and standing, line drawing for coloring-in, playing with blocks, walking, stair climbing, ball toss, and running) using the Douglas bag method. “Exercise intensities” were recorded with the uniaxial accelerometer (Lifecorder EX ; Suzuken Co. Ltd, Nagoya, Japan). PARs were also predicted by using the equations presented by Higuchi et al. (2003) and Kumahara et al. (2004). Significant correlation was observed between “exercise intensities” as measured by the uniaxial accelerometer and PAR for all activities (r=0.827). Predicted PAR values for walking and running were overestimated according to the equations. On the other hand, PAR values for stair climbing and ball toss were underestimated. These findings indicate that although the uniaxial accelerometer may help in evaluating daily physical activity in preschool-aged children, its use as a proxy measure of PAR based on the above equations may be limited.

Does Seasonal Changes in Temperature Affect Levels of Vigorous Physical Activity in Preschool-Aged Children?

2062 It has been suggested that when assessing physical activity in young children, seasonal changes be controlled in describing differences. Colder temperatures and less daylight hours in the winter are likely to influence the decision of parents and childcare providers in sending preschool-aged children outdoors. PURPOSE: This study focused on comparing the vigorous physical activity (VPA) levels of preschoolaged children during colder (January-March) and warmer seasons (May-July) in the Midwest region of the United States. It is expected that less time will be spent in VPA during the winter months since it is likely less time will be spent outdoors. METHODS: Subjects included 28 children (12 males, 16 females) age 3–5 (mean age 3.82 ± .55 years) from six childcare centers in northeast Iowa. The cold months averaged −2 degrees C (SD = 5.8) daily high, while the warm months averaged 24 degrees C (SD = 4.9). No difference occurred in precipitation between these seasons. The children were objectively assessed for physical activity using Actwatch-16 activity monitors (Sunriver, OR, USA) for three weekdays during each season. VPA was determined by identifying the number of 15s epoch (time intervals) that the child activity counts > 250. From this procedure, the number total minutes were determined for the day. The three days were averaged to determine total minutes per day, and time in VPA at the center and at home. RESULTS: The mean (SD) minutes spent daily in VPA for the cold and warm months were 67.23 (21.65) and 66.48 (25.29) respectively. A dependent t-test indicated no significant difference in daily VPA between cold and warm months (p = 0.865). In addition, dependent t-tests indicated no significant difference between minutes spent in VPA at the center (p = 0.258) and the home (p = 0.398) when comparing cold versus warm months. There was however a significant (p<0.1) moderate correlation between the locations for the cold (r = 0.59) and warm (r = 0.54) months. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore it is concluded that for the preschool-aged children in this region enrolled in these child-care centers, temperature differences between seasons did not impact the level of VPA

Does Seasonal Changes in Temperature Affect Levels of Vigorous Physical Activity in Preschool-Aged Children?

2062 It has been suggested that when assessing physical activity in young children, seasonal changes be controlled in describing differences. Colder temperatures and less daylight hours in the winter are likely to influence the decision of parents and childcare providers in sending preschool-aged children outdoors. PURPOSE: This study focused on comparing the vigorous physical activity (VPA) levels of preschoolaged children during colder (January-March) and warmer seasons (May-July) in the Midwest region of the United States. It is expected that less time will be spent in VPA during the winter months since it is likely less time will be spent outdoors. METHODS: Subjects included 28 children (12 males, 16 females) age 3–5 (mean age 3.82 ± .55 years) from six childcare centers in northeast Iowa. The cold months averaged −2 degrees C (SD = 5.8) daily high, while the warm months averaged 24 degrees C (SD = 4.9). No difference occurred in precipitation between these seasons. The children were objectively assessed for physical activity using Actwatch-16 activity monitors (Sunriver, OR, USA) for three weekdays during each season. VPA was determined by identifying the number of 15s epoch (time intervals) that the child activity counts > 250. From this procedure, the number total minutes were determined for the day. The three days were averaged to determine total minutes per day, and time in VPA at the center and at home. RESULTS: The mean (SD) minutes spent daily in VPA for the cold and warm months were 67.23 (21.65) and 66.48 (25.29) respectively. A dependent t-test indicated no significant difference in daily VPA between cold and warm months (p = 0.865). In addition, dependent t-tests indicated no significant difference between minutes spent in VPA at the center (p = 0.258) and the home (p = 0.398) when comparing cold versus warm months. There was however a significant (p<0.1) moderate correlation between the locations for the cold (r = 0.59) and warm (r = 0.54) months. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore it is concluded that for the preschool-aged children in this region enrolled in these child-care centers, temperature differences between seasons did not impact the level of VPA

COMPARISON OF ACTIWATCH SENSORS AND CARS ON ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN CHILDREN.

1577 The Children's Activity Rating Scale (CARS) is a rating scale that is used in direct observation of physical activity in children. Direct observation is costly, tedious, and accuracy may decrease as the observation period lengthens. Motion sensors have gained acceptance for assessment of physical activity. Actiwatch (Mini-Mitter) is a motion sensor with an omni-directional accelerometer. The purpose of this study is to compare 6-hr of activity levels using simultaneous monitoring of pre-school aged children with CARS and Actiwatch motion sensors. A total of 41 children had 3-6 hours of direct observation during waking hours while wearing a sensor on the waist. Simultaneous 10-min mean CARS scores and 10-min sensor activity counts were matched for each subject. The mean (+/− SD) CARS for the 41 children over the 3 to 6 hour period was low (1.76+/−0.28), with a range of 1.20 to 2.23. The range for the mean 10-min CARS scores was 1.0 to 4.49. The 10-min sensor counts ranged from 0 to 2,752 with a mean of 312 (median 230). Overall, 10-min sensor readings correlated with 10-min CARS (r=0.60, P<0.001). The within child correlations between the 10-min CARS score and the 10-min sensor readings from −0.09 to 0.96 with a median of 0.71. We found that the correlation between 10-min sensor readings and the CARS was dependent on the child's activity level for the day (r=0.38, P=0.01): a higher correlation was observed in those children who were more active, probably due to the larger ranges in the CARS scores. Using mixed model repeated measures, sensor readings were significantly associated with CARS (P<0.001). The results indicate that the 10-min CARS score correlates with 10-min sensor counts, favoring the use of the sensors in assessing physical activity in preschool-aged children. Supported by NIH RO1 AR 45310