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Prevalence of Compliance with a New Physical Activity Guideline for Preschool-Age Children
Russell R Pate1, Jennifer R O'Neill1, William H Brown2
11 Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina , Columbia, SC.
Insights
Approximately half of preschool children meet physical activity (PA) guidelines. This study measured total PA in two samples, finding most children do not get enough daily exercise. Interventions are needed to increase PA in young children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Physical Activity Research
- Child Development
Background:
- International expert panels have established similar physical activity (PA) recommendations for young children.
- The new PA guideline defines adequate activity as ≥15 minutes per hour of total PA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess compliance with the new physical activity guideline in two independent samples of preschool-aged children.
- To identify factors associated with meeting physical activity recommendations in early childhood.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study was conducted with 286 children in the first sample and 337 in the second sample, all attending preschools in Columbia, South Carolina.
- Total physical activity (sum of light, moderate, and vigorous intensity activity) was measured using accelerometry.
- Mixed logistic models were employed to analyze differences in guideline compliance based on sex, race/ethnicity, parent education, and weight status, controlling for preschool.
Main Results:
- Mean total physical activity was 14.5 min/hr in the first sample and 15.2 min/hr in the second sample.
- The prevalence of meeting the PA guideline was 41.6% in the first sample and 50.2% in the second sample.
- In both samples, a higher percentage of males met the guideline compared to females (53.5% vs. 33.5% and 57.6% vs. 45.9%, respectively; p<0.05).
Conclusions:
- Roughly half of the preschool children in both independent samples achieved the recommended physical activity levels.
- The findings highlight a need for policies and practices aimed at increasing physical activity among preschool-aged children, as most are not meeting current guidelines.
Background:
Four expert panels from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States issued physical activity (PA) recommendations for young children that are quite similar. The aim of this study was to determine compliance with the new PA guideline (defined as ≥15 min/hr of total PA) in two independent samples of preschool children.
Methods:
We conducted a cross-sectional study of children attending preschools in Columbia, South Carolina. A total of 286 children in one sample and 337 children in a second sample participated. The main outcome of interest was total PA (sum of light, moderate, and vigorous intensity activity) measured by accelerometry. Compliance with the PA guideline was determined for both samples. Separately for each sample, mixed logistic models were used to determine whether there were differences in compliance with the PA guideline between groups based on sex, race/ethnicity, parent education, and weight status, controlling for preschool.
Results:
Total PA was 14.5 and 15.2 min/hr in the first and second samples, respectively. The prevalence of meeting the PA guideline was 41.6% and 50.2% in the first and second samples, respectively. In both samples, more males than females met the guideline (53.5% vs. 33.5% and 57.6% vs. 45.9%) in the first and second samples, respectively (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
Approximately one half of children in two independent samples met the guideline for PA in young children. Policies and practices designed to increase PA among preschool children are needed, given that most children are not meeting this PA guideline.
