Temperament, physical activity and sedentary time in preschoolers - the DAGIS study

Area of Science:

• Child Health
• Behavioral Science
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Identifying individual characteristics linked with physical activity (PA) and sedentary time (SED) is crucial for designing effective health interventions in children.
• Understanding the role of temperament in PA and SED can inform targeted public health strategies for pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the cross-sectional associations between temperament dimensions (surgency, negative affectivity, effortful control) and physical activity (PA) and sedentary time (SED) in Finnish preschoolers.
• To investigate the relationship between temperament characteristics and meeting recommended PA guidelines in young children.

Main Methods:

• The study included 697 Finnish children (mean age 4.7 years, 51.6% boys) from the DAGIS study.
• Parent-reported temperament was assessed using the Children's Behavior Questionnaire. PA and SED were objectively measured for 7 days using accelerometers.
• Statistical analyses included adjusted linear and logistic regressions to determine associations between temperament, PA, SED, and meeting PA recommendations.

Main Results:

• Surgency was positively associated with light, moderate, and vigorous PA, and negatively associated with SED, and increased the odds of meeting PA recommendations.
• Effortful control showed negative associations with moderate-to-vigorous PA and positive associations with SED, decreasing the odds of meeting PA recommendations.
• Negative affectivity was not significantly associated with PA, SED, or meeting PA recommendations.

Conclusions:

• Children's temperament is an important factor to consider when promoting physical activity in preschool settings.
• Interventions aimed at increasing physical activity in preschoolers should consider tailoring approaches based on temperament, particularly for children high in effortful control.