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Objectively measured physical activity in a representative sample of 3- to 4-year-old children
Diane M Jackson1, John J Reilly, Louise A Kelly
1Department of Human Nutrition, University of Glasgow, Yorkhill Hospitals, Glasgow, Scotland. d.jackson@rri.sari.ac.uk
Insights
Physical activity levels increase in preschool children over one year, with boys being more active than girls. Activity tracking was modest, indicating a need for further research.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Exercise Science
- Child Development
- Biomedical Research
Background:
- Understanding physical activity patterns in early childhood is crucial for long-term health.
- Preschool years represent a critical window for establishing activity habits.
- Limited data exists on the tracking of physical activity in this age group.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe physical activity levels in a representative sample of preschool children.
- To quantify the tracking of physical activity over a one-year period in this cohort.
- To investigate potential gender differences in physical activity.
Main Methods:
- A representative sample of 3- to 4-year-old children (n=104) participated.
- Physical activity was assessed using accelerometry (counts/minute) over 3 days.
- Measurements were repeated after 1 year in a subset of 60 children.
Main Results:
- Boys exhibited significantly higher mean total activity (777 counts/minute) than girls (657 counts/minute) at baseline (p < 0.001).
- Total physical activity significantly increased over the 1-year follow-up period (p < 0.001).
- The rank order correlation for total activity over 1 year was modest (r = 0.40, p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Total physical activity increases during the preschool years in Scottish children.
- Gender differences in physical activity are evident early in life.
- Modest tracking suggests a need for methodological research to understand accelerometer data's biological meaning.
Objective:
This study aimed to describe levels of physical activity in a representative sample of preschool children and to quantify tracking of activity over 1 year.
Research Methods And Procedures:
Physical activity (mean accelerometry counts/minute) was assessed over 3 days using the Computer Science and Applications accelerometer in 3- to 4-year-old children (n = 104; 52 boys; mean age, 3.7 +/- 0.4 years). In 60 children (30 boys), measurements were repeated 1 year later.
Results:
Mean total activity at baseline was 777 +/- 207 counts/minute in boys and 657 +/- 172 counts/minute for girls; this gender difference was significant (p < 0.001). In the cross-sectional analysis, total activity was significantly positively related to age (r = 0.37, p = 0.007). In the sample followed up for 1 year, mean total activity was 849 +/- 252. The longitudinal analysis confirmed that total physical activity increased over the 1-year period (paired Student's t test, p < 0.001). The tracking rank order correlation coefficient of total activity count over 1 year was r = 0.40 (p < 0.001).
Discussion:
This study suggests that total activity increases during the preschool period in Scottish children and that gender differences in total activity are present early in life. Tracking of total activity was only modest, but adequate assessment of tracking requires methodological research aimed at elucidating the biological meaning of accelerometer output.