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Physical activity and play in kindergarten age children

Margherita Caroli1, Ewa Malecka-Tendera, Susi Epifani

  • 1Nutrition Unit, Department of Prevention, Azienda Sanitaria Locale Brindisi, Brindisi, Italy. mcaroli@libero.it

International Journal of Pediatric Obesity : IJPO : an Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity
|September 20, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Childhood obesity is influenced by physical activity levels across European countries. Danish children are most active, while Italian children are least active, highlighting the impact of infrastructure and cultural factors on activity and overweight rates.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Childhood Obesity Research

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing global concern.
  • Understanding factors influencing physical activity in early childhood is crucial for prevention.
  • Cross-cultural comparisons can reveal important environmental and social determinants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess and compare physical activity habits among preschool children in Denmark, Italy, and Poland.
  • To identify factors promoting or preventing obesity development in early age within the PERISCOPE project.
  • To analyze the relationship between physical activity, country-specific infrastructure, and childhood overweight rates.

Main Methods:

  • A study involving 1094 preschool children across kindergartens in Denmark, Italy, and Poland.
  • Parental questionnaires assessed children's and parents' physical activity habits and attitudes.
  • Overweight and obesity were determined using Cole's Body Mass Index (BMI) cut-off points.
  • Statistical analyses included the chi-squared test and test of proportion.

Main Results:

  • Italy had the highest overweight rate (21.2%), followed by Poland (17.1%) and Denmark (14.6%).
  • Polish children exhibited the highest rates of walking to/from kindergarten, while Danish children were the most active overall, engaging in sports and outdoor play more frequently.
  • Italian children showed the lowest engagement in outdoor play and sports, with only 50.1% playing outside and 18.2% practicing sports.

Conclusions:

  • Significant variations in physical activity levels and overweight prevalence exist among preschool children in Denmark, Italy, and Poland.
  • Environmental factors, such as safe walking routes and playground access, alongside cultural and social family characteristics, significantly influence children's physical activity and contribute to overweight development.
  • Targeted interventions addressing infrastructure and cultural norms are needed to promote physical activity and combat childhood obesity in diverse European settings.

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