Step count targets corresponding to new physical activity guidelines for the early years

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Exercise Science
• Public Health
• Biomedical Research

Background:

• New physical activity guidelines suggest 180 minutes of daily activity for 3-4 year olds, progressing to 60 minutes of energetic play by age 5.
• Establishing step count targets is crucial for accurately monitoring children's adherence to these physical activity recommendations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To derive and validate step count targets that correspond to current physical activity guidelines for preschool-aged children.
• To provide practitioners and researchers with a reliable metric for assessing children's physical activity levels.

Main Methods:

• 133 preschoolers wore accelerometers for seven days to collect activity and step count data.
• Regression analyses were used to derive step count targets equivalent to physical activity recommendations.
• Receiver operating curve analyses assessed the sensitivity and specificity of various step count targets.

Main Results:

• A daily step count target of 6013 +/- 88 was derived for 180 minutes of any-intensity physical activity.
• A target of 6191 +/- 103 was derived for 180 minutes of activity including 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity.
• A 6000 steps per day target demonstrated the smallest discrepancy with physical activity guidelines and showed balanced sensitivity and specificity.

Conclusions:

• A recommended daily step count target of 6000 steps should be adopted for 3- to 5-year-old children.
• This 6000-step target serves as a practical tool for evaluating adherence to physical activity recommendations in young children.