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Activity Patterns of Preschool-Aged Children at Risk for Obesity
Meghan M Senso1, Stewart G Trost, A Lauren Crain
1HealthPartners Institute for Education and Research, Minneapolis, MN.
Insights
This study describes physical activity (PA) patterns in preschoolers, finding no significant differences in moderate-to-vigorous PA by weight status. Understanding these patterns is key for early obesity prevention interventions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric health
- Obesity prevention
- Physical activity research
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing concern, necessitating early interventions.
- Limited data exist on physical activity patterns in preschool-aged children.
- Understanding activity is crucial for developing effective obesity prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the types and patterns of physical activity in preschool-aged children.
- To investigate differences in physical activity by weight status.
Main Methods:
- Utilized baseline data from the Healthy Homes/Healthy Kids-Preschool pilot study.
- Employed a modified parent-reported PA recall for activity types.
- Used accelerometry to measure daily and hourly activity patterns.
Main Results:
- "Playing with toys" was the most common activity, followed by meals/snacks and chores.
- Children spent 412 min sedentary, 247 min in light PA, and 69 min in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) daily.
- Hourly MVPA ranged from 3-13%, with peaks in late morning and evening; no significant weight status differences were found.
Conclusions:
- The study provides insights into preschooler activity patterns.
- Further research is needed to explore weight status differences in PA patterns.
- Findings can inform targeted interventions for childhood obesity.
Background:
Although the prevalence of obesity in young children highlights the importance of early interventions to promote physical activity (PA), there are limited data on activity patterns in this age group. The purpose of this study was to describe activity patterns in preschool-aged children and explore differences by weight status.
Methods:
Analyses use baseline data from Healthy Homes/Healthy Kids-Preschool, a pilot obesity prevention trial of preschool-aged children who are overweight or at risk for being overweight. A modified parent-reported version of the previous-day PA recall was used to summarize types of activity. Accelerometry was used to summarize daily and hourly activity patterns.
Results:
"Playing with toys" accounted for the largest proportion of a child's previous day, followed by "meals and snacks" and "chores." Accelerometry-measured daily time spent in sedentary behavior, light PA, and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) was 412, 247, and 69 minutes, respectively. Percentage of hourly time spent in MVPA ranged from 3% to 13%, peaking in the late morning and evening hours. There were no statistically significant MVPA differences by weight status.
Conclusions:
This study extends our understanding of activity types, amounts, and patterns in preschool-aged children and warrants further exploration of differences in PA patterns by weight status.
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