Interventions to increase physical activity in children 0-5 years old: a systematic review, meta-analysis and realist...

Area of Science:

• Early childhood development
• Public health interventions
• Pediatric physical activity

Background:

• Promoting physical activity (PA) in children aged 0-5 years is crucial for healthy development.
• Understanding effective interventions is vital for practitioners and policymakers.
• Existing reviews often lack detailed insights into contextual factors influencing PA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions designed to increase physical activity (PA) in children aged 0-5 years.
• To identify which interventions work, for whom, and under what circumstances.
• To provide evidence-based recommendations for early childhood PA interventions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review, meta-analysis, and realist synthesis of studies published up to April 2017.
• Inclusion criteria focused on randomized or controlled trials with objectively assessed PA in children aged 0-5.9 years.
• Searched Embase and EBSCOhost databases for relevant English-language studies.

Main Results:

• Meta-analyses revealed a significant positive effect on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), with a mean difference of 2.88 minutes/day (p < 0.001).
• No significant effect was found for light-intensity physical activity.
• Realist synthesis identified key contexts and mechanisms contributing to intervention success.

Conclusions:

• Interventions can effectively increase moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in early childhood.
• Contextual factors and specific mechanisms are important for successful PA interventions.
• The review provides actionable recommendations for practitioners and policymakers to implement effective early childhood PA programs.