Physical activity in children attending preschools

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Childhood Development
• Physical Activity Research

Background:

• Preschool attendance is a critical period for establishing physical activity habits.
• Objectively measuring physical activity in young children is essential for accurate assessment.
• Understanding correlates of physical activity can inform interventions to promote healthy lifestyles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors associated with objectively measured moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in preschool-aged children.
• To explore child, staff, and environmental correlates of physical activity during preschool.
• To inform strategies for enhancing physical activity levels in early childhood settings.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 426 Danish children aged 5-6 years in 42 preschools.
• Moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) measured using ActiGraph accelerometers over 4.3 days.
• Thirty-seven potential correlates examined across child, staff, and environmental domains.

Main Results:

• Nine significant correlates of MVPA were identified.
• Positive associations found with child motor coordination, preschool building location, male gender, afternoon hours, and indoor area size per child.
• Negative associations observed with preterm birth, playground vegetation, and rainy days; parental education level showed unclear association.

Conclusions:

• Several new, modifiable correlates of preschool physical activity were identified.
• The size of indoor area per child and the preschool building's location on the playground are key modifiable factors.
• These findings suggest targets for future interventions to promote physical activity in preschools.