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Preschool children's physical activity and cardiovascular disease risk: A systematic review
Lisa A Bell1, Elly A Fletcher2, Anna Timperio3
1Deakin University, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Science, Australia; Barwon Health, Australia.
Insights
Physical activity (PA) in preschoolers shows inconsistent links to cardiovascular disease risk factors. More research with objective PA measures is needed to clarify this relationship in young children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric cardiovascular health
- Physical activity research
- Early childhood development
Background:
- Adult physical activity (PA) is linked to reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
- CVD has origins in early life, making preschool years a critical period.
- Evidence linking PA to CVD risk factors in children under five is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the evidence on associations between PA and CVD risk factors in children aged 3-5.5 years.
- To synthesize findings on PA's role in early cardiovascular health.
- To identify research gaps in preschool PA and CVD risk.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of published, peer-reviewed, quantitative research.
- Searched multiple databases for studies on PA and CVD risk factors in children aged 3.0-5.5 years.
- Excluded studies on children with pre-existing health conditions.
Main Results:
- Twelve studies met inclusion criteria, covering most CVD risk factors except inflammation.
- PA was not associated with insulin resistance.
- Associations between PA and other CVD risk factors were inconsistent across studies, which were mostly cross-sectional and heterogeneous.
Conclusions:
- The relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular disease risk factors in preschoolers is unclear.
- Current evidence is limited by study design and measurement methods.
- Longitudinal and experimental studies using objective PA measures are recommended for future research.
Objectives:
Higher physical activity (PA) levels in adults are associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk, however it is unclear whether this association is evident in children younger than five years. Given that cardiovascular disease has early life origins, this study systematically reviews evidence of associations between PA and cardiovascular disease risk factors among children aged 3-5.5years.
Design:
Systematic review.
Method:
A systematic search of multiple data bases was conducted to identify published papers reporting associations between any measure of PA and cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Inclusion Criteria:
English language; peer-reviewed; original quantitative research; mean age or majority of sample to be between 3.0-5.5years. Studies where the sample was characterised by a health condition (e.g. obese, hypertensive) were not eligible for inclusion.
Results:
Twelve papers met the inclusion criteria. At least one study for each cardiovascular disease risk factor except inflammation was included. PA was not associated with insulin resistance, and inconsistently associated with the remaining cardiovascular disease risk factors. Studies were mostly cross-sectional and methodologically heterogeneous. Longitudinal and experimental study designs and objective measurement of PA may help provide a clearer indication of the interplay between PA and cardiovascular disease risk in the preschool population.