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The translation of preschoolers' physical activity guidelines into a daily step count target
Marieke De Craemer1, Ellen De Decker, Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij
1a Department of Movement and Sport Sciences , Ghent University , Ghent , Belgium.
Insights
Translating physical activity (PA) guidelines into steps for preschoolers is complex. A provisional target of 11,500 steps daily is proposed, balancing attainability and health benefits.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Exercise Physiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Preschoolers require adequate physical activity (PA) for healthy development.
- Current PA guidelines often lack specific, measurable targets for this age group.
- Translating time-based PA recommendations into step counts is crucial for practical application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine preschooler step count targets equivalent to 180 minutes of daily physical activity.
- To evaluate different accelerometer cut-points for calculating step targets.
- To propose a provisional, achievable step count goal for preschoolers.
Main Methods:
- 535 Flemish preschoolers (mean age 4.41 years) wore accelerometers for four days.
- Step counts were derived using regression equations and four distinct PA cut-points (Pate, Evenson, Reilly, Van Cauwenberghe).
- Calculated step targets were compared against the 180-minute PA guideline.
Main Results:
- Equivalent step targets varied significantly by cut-point: 5,274 (Pate), 4,653 (Evenson), 11,379 (Reilly), and 13,326 (Van Cauwenberghe) steps/day.
- No consensus exists on the optimal cut-point for preschoolers.
- A provisional target of 11,500 steps/day is suggested as realistic and beneficial.
Conclusions:
- Establishing a definitive step count target for preschoolers requires consensus on PA cut-points.
- The proposed provisional target of 11,500 steps/day offers a practical approach to promoting PA in young children.
- Further research is needed to validate step count targets across diverse preschool populations.
Abstract:
This study aimed at translating the physical activity (PA) guideline (180 min of total PA per day) into a step count target in preschoolers. 535 Flemish preschoolers (mean age: 4.41 ± 0.58) wore an ActiGraph accelerometer (GT1M, GT3X and GT3X+) - with activated step count function - for four consecutive days. The step count target was calculated from the accelerometer output using a regression equation, applying four different cut-points for light-to-vigorous PA: Pate, Evenson, Reilly, and Van Cauwenberghe. The present analysis showed that 180 min of total PA per day is equivalent to the following step count targets: 5,274 steps/day using the Pate cut-point, 4,653 steps/day using the Evenson cut-point, 11,379 steps/day using the Reilly cut-point and 13,326 steps/day using the Van Cauwenberghe cut-point. Future studies should focus on achieving consensus on which cut-points to use in preschoolers before a definite step count target in preschoolers can be proposed. Until then, we propose to use a provisional step count target of 11,500 steps/day as this step count target is attainable, realistic and helpful in promoting preschoolers' PA.
