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Physical Activity Opportunities Within the Schedule of Early Care and Education Centers
Insights
Preschoolers in child care get moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for about 51 minutes daily. Outdoor activities significantly boost physical activity levels compared to indoor classroom settings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Child Development
- Physical Activity Research
Background:
- Physical activity is crucial for young children's health and development.
- Limited research exists on physical activity time allocation and levels in early care and education settings.
- Understanding indoor/outdoor activity patterns is essential for optimizing preschooler engagement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate time allocation for physical activity in early care and education centers.
- To measure individual physical activity levels of children aged 3-5 years during indoor and outdoor activities.
- To analyze associations between child activity levels and classroom activity types.
Main Methods:
- Fifty early care and education centers in central North Carolina were observed.
- 559 children (3-5 years) wore accelerometers to measure physical activity over 4 full days.
- Data from observations and accelerometers were linked to analyze activity patterns.
Main Results:
- Children averaged 51 minutes/day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and 99 minutes/day of light physical activity.
- Teacher-led physical activity averaged 6 minutes/day outdoors and 10 minutes/day indoors.
- Outdoor time (67 minutes/day) showed higher physical activity levels than indoor activities (center time, circle time, TV time).
Conclusions:
- Significant variations in physical activity levels exist between indoor and outdoor classroom activities.
- Early care and education policies should leverage outdoor time to maximize preschooler physical activity.
- Optimizing physical activity opportunities within centers requires understanding these indoor/outdoor patterns.
Background:
Physical activity has many benefits for young children's health and overall development, but few studies have investigated how early care and education centers allot time for physical activity, along with measured individual physical activity levels for indoor/outdoor activities during a typical day.
Methods:
Fifty early care and education centers in central North Carolina participated in 4 full-day observations, and 559 children aged 3-5 years within centers wore accelerometers assessing physical activity during observation days. Observation and physical activity data were linked and analyzed for associations between child activity and type of classroom activity.
Results:
Children averaged 51 (13) minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity and 99 (18) minutes per day of light physical activity while in child care. Children averaged 6 (10) and 10 (13) minutes per day of observed outdoor and indoor daily teacher-led physical activity, respectively. Outdoor time averaged 67 (49) minutes per day, and physical activity levels were higher during outdoor time than during common indoor activities (center time, circle time, and TV time).
Conclusions:
Physical activity levels varied between indoor and outdoor class activities. Policy and program-related efforts to increase physical activity in preschoolers should consider these patterns to leverage opportunities to optimize physical activity within early care and education centers.