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In-school and Out-of-school Physical Activity in Preschool Children
Jennifer R O'Neill1, Karin A Pfeiffer, Marsha Dowda
1Dept of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
Insights
Preschool physical activity (PA) is linked to activity levels outside school. Children not meeting PA guidelines in school were more active afterward, suggesting environmental factors may influence activity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Exercise Science
- Early Childhood Education
Background:
- Limited understanding of the connection between preschool physical activity (PA) and out-of-school activity levels.
- This study aimed to describe the relationship between in-school and out-of-school PA in young children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between children's physical activity levels during preschool hours and their activity levels outside of preschool.
- To compare physical activity patterns between children who met PA guidelines in preschool and those who did not.
Main Methods:
- 341 preschool-aged children (4.6 ± 0.3 years) from 16 preschools participated.
- Accelerometers measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and total physical activity (TPA) both in-school and out-of-school.
- Statistical analyses included Pearson correlations and 2-way repeated-measures ANOVA to examine associations and group differences.
Main Results:
- A positive correlation was found between in-school and out-of-school PA for both MVPA (r = .13, P = .02) and TPA (r = .15, P = .01).
- Children meeting PA guidelines in preschool maintained similar activity levels out-of-school.
- Children not meeting in-school guidelines were more active outside of preschool, with comparable activity levels between groups when out-of-school.
Conclusions:
- In-school and out-of-school PA are positively associated in preschool children.
- Preschool environments may influence children's in-school PA, as those not meeting guidelines were more active outside of school.
- Interventions may be needed to enhance PA within preschool settings.
Background:
Little is known about the relationship between children's physical activity (PA) in preschool (in-school) and outside of preschool (out-of-school). This study described this relationship.
Methods:
Participants were 341 children (4.6 ± 0.3 years) in 16 preschools. Accelerometers measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and total physical activity (TPA) in-school and out-of-school. In the full sample, Pearson correlation was used to describe associations between in-school and out-of-school PA. In addition, children were categorized as meeting or not meeting a PA guideline during school. MVPA and TPA were compared between the 2 groups and in-school and out-of-school using 2-way repeated-measures analysis of variance.
Results:
In the full sample, in-school and out-of-school PA were positively correlated for MVPA (r = .13, P = .02) and TPA (r = .15, P = .01). Children who met the guideline in-school remained comparably active out-of-school. However, those who did not meet the guideline were more active out-of-school than in-school. The groups were active at comparable levels while out-of-school. Identical patterns were seen for MVPA and TPA.
Conclusions:
Children's in-school PA was positively associated with out-of-school PA. Children who did not meet the guideline in-school were more active out-of-school than in-school, suggesting preschool and classroom factors may reduce some children's PA in-school.
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