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An objective assessment of toddlers' physical activity and sedentary levels: a cross-sectional study
Leigh M Vanderloo1, Patricia Tucker2
1Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, 1201 Elborn College, Rm 2585, London, ON, N6G 1H1, Canada. lvande32@uwo.ca.
Insights
Canadian toddlers exhibit high sedentary time and low physical activity, with most exceeding screen time recommendations. Further research is needed to promote active behaviors in this age group.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Behavioral Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Limited data exists on physical activity and sedentary behavior in Canadian toddlers.
- Objective measurement of these behaviors is crucial for understanding current trends.
- Screen viewing habits among toddlers require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To objectively measure physical activity and sedentary time in Canadian toddlers.
- To compare toddlers' activity levels against national physical activity guidelines.
- To explore screen viewing behaviors and their relation to sedentary time.
Main Methods:
- Forty toddlers (mean age 25.7 months) wore accelerometers for seven days.
- Parental logs and questionnaires provided supplementary data on wear time and screen use.
- Descriptive and inferential statistics (t-tests, regression) analyzed activity levels and screen-viewing patterns.
Main Results:
- Toddlers spent a significant portion of their day in sedentary time (37.3–49.4 min/hr).
- Physical activity levels varied, with most toddlers not meeting guidelines based on certain cut-points.
- A high percentage of toddlers exceeded recommended screen time limits, particularly older toddlers (2-3 years).
Conclusions:
- Canadian toddlers demonstrate concerning levels of sedentary behavior and insufficient physical activity.
- Current screen-viewing recommendations are frequently unmet by toddlers.
- Further strategies are needed to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary time in this population.
Background:
Little evidence exists on the physical activity and sedentary time of Canadian toddlers; this study objectively measured such behaviors and compared participants' activity levels to national guidelines. Levels of screen-viewing among toddlers were also explored.
Methods:
Forty toddlers (mean age = 25.7 months) wore Actical accelerometers for seven consecutive days (15 s epoch). Parents/guardians completed a wear-time log and a demographic and screen-viewing questionnaire. Descriptive analyses were used to determine participants' levels of physical activity and sedentary time, to identify whether toddlers were meeting physical activity/sedentary guidelines, and to explore demographic variables. T-tests were used to assess whether toddlers' activity levels differed based on cut-points applied and various demographic and screen-related variables. Regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between toddlers' sedentary time and screen-viewing levels.
Results:
Toddlers engaged in 37.27 (SD = 3.79) to 49.40 (SD = 3.29) mins/hr of sedentary time, 9.79 (SD = 2.90) to 18.78 (SD = 3.22) mins/hr of light-intensity physical activity (LPA), 0.82 (SD = 0.72) to 3.95 (SD = 1.93) mins/hr of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), and 10.60 (SD =3.29) to 22.73 (SD = 3.97) mins/hr of total physical activity (TPA), based on the Trost et al. and the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) cut-points respectively; these rates were significantly different (p <.001). On at least 1 day, 17.5 % (Trost et al. cut-points) and 97.5 % (CHMS cut-points) of the sample met or exceeded the Canadian physical activity guidelines. No statistically significant differences in sedentary time or physical activity (all intensities) based on sex were reported (p <.001); however, LPA (CHMS cut-points) did significantly differ based on childcare attendance (p <.05). Approximately 93.2 % of participants watched television, and 56.8 % utilized computers. Only 18.8 and 25.0 % of children under 2 years and 70.8 and 62.5 % of 2-3 years olds met the screen-use recommendation of the sedentary behavior guidelines on weekdays and weekend days, respectively.
Discussion And Conclusion:
The implications of this work suggest that a greater understanding of toddlers' activity patterns is needed; additional mechanisms of promoting active behaviors among this group should be explored.
