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Effects of Child Care Intervention on Physical Activity and Body Composition
Gary S Goldfield1, Alysha L J Harvey2, Kimberly P Grattan3
1Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
Child care provider training increased physical activity (PA) in preschoolers. This intervention also led to significant reductions in body fat percentage and fat mass, promoting healthier outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health Interventions
- Childhood Obesity Prevention
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern.
- Preschool years are a critical period for establishing lifelong physical activity (PA) habits.
- Child care settings offer a unique environment to influence PA and health behaviors in young children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention targeting child care providers.
- To determine if the intervention could increase physical activity (PA) in preschoolers.
- To assess the intervention's impact on reducing adiposity in preschool-aged children.
Main Methods:
- A two-arm, parallel-group, cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted.
- Six child care centers were randomized to either an intervention or control group.
- Intervention providers received training on promoting PA; control centers followed their standard curriculum. PA and body composition were measured at baseline and 6 months.
Main Results:
- Children in the intervention group showed significantly greater increases in overall PA (22.5 min/day) and light-intensity PA (16.1 min/day).
- The intervention group experienced significant reductions in body fat percentage (-1.9%) and fat mass (-0.3 kg).
- No significant differences were observed in moderate to vigorous PA, fat-free mass, BMI, or z-BMI between groups.
Conclusions:
- Provider-led interventions in child care settings can effectively increase preschoolers' physical activity.
- This approach shows promise in reducing adiposity and promoting health benefits in preschool-aged children.
- Such programs represent a viable strategy for public health initiatives aimed at combating childhood obesity.
Introduction:
This study evaluated whether intervening with child care providers would increase physical activity (PA) and reduce adiposity in preschoolers.
Methods:
This was a two-arm, parallel group, cluster RCT whereby six child care centers were randomly assigned in equal numbers to intervention (n=40 children) or control (n=43 children). Participants were aged 3-5 years and attended licensed child care centers. Child care providers received two 3-hour train-the-trainer workshops and a training manual at program initiation aimed at increasing structured and unstructured PA through active play. Control child care centers implemented their standard curriculum. PA and sedentary behavior were measured by accelerometry, and body composition was measured using bioelectrical impedance at baseline and 6 months. Data were collected in 2011-2012 and analyzed in April 2015.
Results:
Linear mixed-effects modeling showed that at 6 months, children in the intervention group demonstrated greater increases in minutes per preschool day spent in overall PA (22.5 minutes, 95% CI=8.9, 36.1, p=0.002), and light-intensity PA (16.1 minutes, 95% CI=5.2, 26.7, p=0.004), but changes between groups in moderate to vigorous PA did not differ. The intervention group showed greater reductions in body fat percentage (-1.9%, 95% CI=-3.5, -0.3, p=0.023) and fat mass (-0.3 kg, 95% CI=-0.7, -0.1, p=0.018), but groups did not differ on fat-free mass, BMI, or z-BMI.
Conclusions:
Provider-led intervention in child care centers increased preschoolers' PA and reduced adiposity, therefore may represent a viable approach to promoting PA and related health benefits in preschool-aged children.
Trial Registration:
This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT02293278.
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