Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
Physical Activity Measurement in Children Accepting Table Tennis Training
Published on: July 27, 2022
Objectively-measured physical activity and body weight in Japanese pre-schoolers
Chiaki Tanaka1, Shigeho Tanaka
1Division of Integrated Sciences, J. F. Oberlin University, Machida , Tokyo , Japan and.
Insights
Thin Japanese preschool children engage in less light, moderate, and high-intensity physical activity compared to normal or overweight peers. This suggests thinness is linked to reduced overall physical activity levels.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric health
- Physical activity and nutrition
- Childhood obesity and thinness
Background:
- Increasing prevalence of thinness observed in Japanese children.
- Growing concern over nutritional status and physical activity in early childhood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between physical activity levels and body mass index (BMI) in Japanese preschool children.
- To differentiate physical activity patterns associated with thinness versus overweight in young children.
Main Methods:
- Study included 425 Japanese preschool children (4-6 years old).
- Body mass index (BMI) classified using Cole's international cut-offs.
- Physical activity measured over 6 days using a triaxial accelerometer.
Main Results:
- Overweight children showed similar physical activity to normal-weight children.
- Thin children exhibited significantly less time in light, moderate, and vigorous physical activities.
- Thin children also spent less time in locomotive activities compared to normal-weight and overweight peers.
Conclusions:
- Thinness in Japanese preschool children is associated with reduced engagement in various intensities of physical activity.
- Findings highlight that low physical activity may be a key factor contributing to thinness in this population.
- Interventions targeting physical activity may be crucial for addressing childhood thinness.
Background:
The prevalence of thinness has increased among Japanese children.
Aim:
The purpose of this study was to examine the association between physical activity and body mass index (BMI) among Japanese pre-school children.
Subjects And Methods:
Subjects were 425 4-6-year-old Japanese girls and boys. Their weights were classified as normal, overweight or thin, based on Cole's international cut-offs for BMI. Physical activity was assessed using a triaxial accelerometer (ActivTracer, GMS) for 6 consecutive days.
Results:
Physical activity in overweight children was comparable to that in normal-weight children after controlling for age and gender. However, thin children spent significantly greater time engaged in low-intensity activities (physical activity ratio < 2) and spent less time engaged in light-intensity physical activity (2 ≤ physical activity ratio < 3) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (physical activity ratio ≥ 3) than normal-weight and overweight children, and less time engaged in higher-intensity physical activity (physical activity ratio ≥ 4) than normal-weight children. Moreover, thin children spent significantly less time engaged in locomotive physical activity than normal-weight or overweight children.
Conclusion:
This study suggests that thinness, rather than excess weight, is associated with decreased light, moderate and high intensity physical activity in Japanese pre-school children.
