Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026
Physical Activity Measurement in Children Accepting Table Tennis Training
Published on: July 27, 2022
Patterns of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in preschool children
Eveline Van Cauwenberghe1, Rachel A Jones, Trina Hinkley
1Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, University of Ghent, Watersportlaan 2, Ghent, Belgium. Eveline.VanCauwenberghe@UGent.be
Insights
Sedentary behavior (SB) is highest in the morning and early afternoon for preschoolers, with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) peaking in the late afternoon/evening. Weekdays offer the best opportunities to reduce SB and promote MVPA in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Behavioral Science
- Kinesiology
Background:
- Limited understanding of sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity patterns in preschoolers.
- Observational study to detail weekly SB and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in young children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine hour-by-hour patterns of SB and MVPA in preschool-aged children.
- To compare these patterns between boys and girls, and between weekdays and weekend days.
Main Methods:
- Accelerometry data collected over eight days from 703 Melbourne preschool children (mean age 4.6 years).
- Calculated hourly percentages of time spent in SB and MVPA (08:00-20:00).
- Used multi-level logistic regression to analyze variability and differences between sexes and day types.
Main Results:
- Highest SB and lowest MVPA occurred from morning to early afternoon on weekdays and weekend mornings/midday.
- Lowest SB and highest MVPA occurred from mid-afternoon to evening on both weekdays and weekend days.
- Small hour-by-hour variability in SB and MVPA observed. Girls showed slightly higher SB and lower MVPA during some hours. Weekend days had lower SB and higher MVPA than weekdays.
Conclusions:
- Weekdays and weekend days present opportunities to decrease SB and increase MVPA in preschoolers.
- Weekdays are particularly promising for interventions to improve SB and MVPA.
- No specific sex-based targeting is needed, as patterns are similar between boys and girls.
Background:
Little is known about patterns of sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity among preschoolers. Therefore, in this observational study patterns of SB and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were examined in detail throughout the week in preschool-aged boys and girls.
Methods:
A sample of 703 Melbourne preschool children (387 boys; 4.6 ± 0.7 y) were included in data analysis. SB and MVPA data were collected using accelerometry over an eight-day period. Percentage of time per hour in SB and in MVPA between 08:00 h and 20:00 h was calculated. Multi-level logistic regression models were created to examine the hour-by-hour variability in SB and MVPA for boys and girls across weekdays and weekend days. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated to interpret differences in hour-by-hour SB and MVPA levels between boys and girls, and between weekdays and weekend days.
Results:
The highest SB levels co-occurred with the lowest MVPA levels from the morning till the early afternoon on weekdays, and during the morning and around midday on weekends. Besides, participation in SB was the lowest and participation in MVPA was the highest from the mid afternoon till the evening on weekdays and weekend days. The variability across the hours in SB and, especially, in MVPA was rather small throughout weekdays and weekends. These patterns were found in both boys and girls. During some hours, girls were found to be more likely than boys to demonstrate higher SB levels (OR from 1.08 to 1.16; all p < 0.05) and lower MVPA levels (OR from 0.75 to 0.88; all p < 0.05), but differences were small. During weekends, hour-by-hour SB levels were more likely to be lower (OR from 0.74 to 0.98; all p < 0.05) and hour-by-hour MVPA levels were more likely to be higher (OR from 1.15 to 1.50; all p < 0.05), than during weekdays, in boys and girls.
Conclusion:
Entire weekdays, especially from the morning till the early afternoon, and entire weekend days are opportunities to reduce SB and to promote MVPA in preschool-aged boys and girls. Particularly weekdays hold the greatest promise for improving SB and MVPA. No particular time of the week was found where one sex should be targeted.
