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Objectively measured physical activity in two-year-old children - levels, patterns and correlates
Elin Johansson1,2, Maria Hagströmer3, Viktoria Svensson4
1Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Science, Technology and Intervention, Division of Pediatrics, Stockholm, Sweden. Elin.johansson@ki.se.
Summary
Two-year-old children exhibit intermittent physical activity, with nearly half their day spent active. Individual variations in activity levels appear to be primarily endogenous, not linked to parental weight or other factors.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Behavioral Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Investigated physical activity and sedentary behavior in 2-year-old Swedish children.
- Examined associations with parental weight status (normal vs. overweight/obese).
- Utilized data from the Early Stockholm Obesity Prevention Project study.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the levels, patterns, and correlates of physical activity and sedentary behavior.
- To understand factors influencing activity in early childhood.
Main Methods:
- 123 children wore accelerometers for seven days.
- Assessed average activity (counts per minute), steps, and time in low/high-intensity physical activity and sedentary behavior.
- Analyzed differences between weekdays/weekends and correlations with sex, BMI, motor skills, and family factors.
Main Results:
- Children spent 11% of the day in high-intensity activity and 55% sedentary.
- Weekday activity included 363 more steps and 6 more minutes of low-intensity activity compared to weekends.
- No significant associations were found with sex, BMI, motor skills, or parental factors.
Conclusions:
- Two-year-olds display an intermittent activity pattern, with roughly half the day spent active.
- Activity patterns were similar on weekdays and weekends.
- Individual variations in activity are likely due to endogenous factors rather than external influences like parental characteristics.
