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Low levels of objectively measured physical activity in preschoolers in child care
1University of Glasgow Division of Developmental Medicine, Scotland, UK. jjr2y@clinmed.gla.ac.uk
Insights
Physical activity in child care settings is often insufficient for preschoolers. Most children accumulate less than 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) daily in child care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Child Development
- Public Health
Background:
- Child care settings are crucial for promoting physical activity (PA) in early childhood.
- Meeting PA recommendations is essential for children's health and development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence on physical activity volume and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in preschool children attending child care centers.
- To assess typical PA levels within child care environments.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search for studies published between 2000 and 2008.
- Inclusion of studies using objective measurement methods for PA and MVPA (accelerometry, direct observation, pedometers, HR monitoring).
- Focus on preschool children within child care settings.
Main Results:
- Twelve articles describing 13 studies were identified, involving 96 child care centers and over 1900 children.
- Most studies indicated that children accumulated less than 60 minutes of MVPA during an 8-hour child care day.
- Typical PA levels were low, with high levels of sedentary behavior observed.
Conclusions:
- Consistent evidence suggests low physical activity levels in child care centers.
- High levels of sedentary behavior are prevalent among preschool children in child care.
- Interventions may be needed to increase PA in child care settings.
Background:
Physical activity (PA) undertaken at child care could assist in the achievement of PA recommendations across a large proportion of the population in early childhood.
Purpose:
To review recent evidence on volume of PA and amount of moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) in preschool children within child care centers.
Methods:
Literature search for studies published in 2000-2008 in which objective methods (accelerometry, direct observation, pedometers, HR monitoring) were used to measure typical levels of PA and MVPA of preschool children while within child care.
Results:
Twelve eligible articles were identified, describing 13 studies, involving 96 different child care centers and >1900 children. In all six of the accelerometry studies that quantified MVPA and in three of the four studies that used direct observation to quantify MVPA, typical levels of PA within the child care center would have led to the accumulation of <60 min x d MVPA during a full 8-h child care day.
Conclusions:
A body of high-quality evidence is consistent in suggesting that PA levels within child care centers are typically very low, and levels of sedentary behavior are typically high.
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