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The childcare environment and children's physical activity
Julie K Bower1, Derek P Hales, Deborah F Tate
1Department of Nutrition, Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA.
Insights
Childcare environments supporting physical activity promote healthy behaviors in preschoolers. Supportive settings correlate with increased moderate-to-vigorous activity and reduced sedentary time, highlighting environmental impacts on child health.
Area of Science:
- Child Health
- Behavioral Science
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Childcare settings are crucial for promoting physical activity and healthy behaviors in young children.
- Increased child care attendance necessitates understanding environmental influences on physical activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationships between childcare environments and preschool children's physical activity behavior.
- Identify specific environmental factors influencing children's physical activity in child care.
Main Methods:
- Assessed environmental aspects in 20 childcare centers using the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO) instrument.
- Measured physical activity behavior through direct observation over two days.
Main Results:
- Children in supportive childcare environments engaged in 15% more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity compared to 9% in less supportive environments.
- Supportive environments were associated with less sedentary time (50% vs. 61%) and higher mean physical activity levels.
- Key environmental factors included active opportunities, play equipment availability, sedentary environment characteristics, and staff training.
Conclusions:
- Childcare center environments significantly impact children's physical activity behavior.
- Identified specific environmental factors that relate to children's physical activity.
- These findings are crucial for designing effective interventions to promote physical activity in early childhood settings.
Background:
With increased numbers of children attending child care, this setting presents an ideal opportunity to promote physical activity and the early development of healthy behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the childcare environment and physical activity behavior of preschool children.
Methods:
Aspects of the environment hypothesized to influence children's physical activity were assessed in 20 childcare centers using the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO) instrument. Physical activity behavior was assessed over 2 days using direct observation.
Results:
Children in centers with supportive environments achieved more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (15% of observations vs 9%; effect size [ES]=1.17), spent less time in sedentary activities (50% vs 61%; ES=-1.52), and had higher mean physical activity levels (2.68 vs 2.43; ES=1.41) compared to centers with less supportive environments. Facets of the physical and social environment related to physical activity behavior included active opportunities, portable play equipment, fixed play equipment, sedentary environment, and physical activity training and education.
Conclusions:
Previous research indicates that the childcare center that children attend significantly affects physical activity behavior. The current findings extend this evidence by identifying aspects of the childcare environment that relate to the physical activity behavior of children. These factors should be considered when identifying determinants of physical activity and designing interventions.
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