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Relationships between the home environment and physical activity and dietary patterns of preschool children: a

Nicola J Spurrier1, Anthea A Magarey, Rebecca Golley

  • 1Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia 5042, Australia. nicola.spurrier@flinders.edu.au

The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
|June 3, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Home environment characteristics significantly influence preschool children's physical activity and dietary habits. Modifiable factors like parental behavior and home attributes can be targeted for childhood obesity prevention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Environmental Health
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
  • The home environment plays a crucial role in shaping early life behaviors.
  • Understanding home environment influences is key for effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between home environment characteristics and preschool children's physical activity.
  • To examine the relationship between home environment factors and children's dietary patterns.
  • To identify modifiable home-based factors for childhood obesity prevention.

Main Methods:

  • Direct observation and parent interviews in 280 preschool children's homes.
  • Assessment of physical and nutritional home environment characteristics.
  • Measurement of children's physical activity, sedentary behavior, and diet via parent-report questionnaires.

Main Results:

  • Parental physical activity, backyard size, and outdoor play equipment correlated with increased outdoor play.
  • Fewer TV rules and presence of gaming consoles linked to higher indoor sedentary time.
  • Dietary patterns were associated with food availability, parental restrictions (e.g., sugary drinks, snacks), and feeding practices.

Conclusions:

  • Home physical attributes and parental behaviors significantly impact children's activity and eating habits.
  • These identified factors are largely modifiable.
  • Targeting these home environment variables offers potential for childhood obesity prevention and management strategies.
Abstract

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