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Weekday and Weekend Physical Activity of Preschool Children in Relation to Selected Socioeconomic Indicators
Jarosław Herbert1, Piotr Matłosz1, Alejandro Martínez-Rodríguez2
1Institute of Physical Culture Sciences, Medical College, University of Rzeszów, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland.
Insights
Physical activity levels in Polish preschoolers were assessed, revealing boys were more likely to meet moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and step recommendations than girls. Household size was the only socioeconomic factor significantly associated with meeting physical activity guidelines.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Physical Activity and Exercise Science
- Public Health and Epidemiology
Background:
- Physical activity (PA) is crucial for young children's health, positively impacting psychological, cognitive, and cardio-metabolic outcomes.
- Understanding PA levels and adherence to World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations in preschool-aged children is vital for public health initiatives.
- Socioeconomic factors may influence children's physical activity patterns, necessitating investigation within specific populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate physical activity (PA) levels and adherence to WHO moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and step count recommendations in Polish preschoolers.
- To examine weekday versus weekend PA differences in preschool boys and girls.
- To investigate the association between selected socioeconomic indicators and PA, including meeting WHO recommendations.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 522 Polish preschool children (5-6 years old) during the 2017/2018 school year.
- ActiGraph GT3X-BT accelerometers were used to objectively measure physical activity.
- Parents/caregivers self-reported socioeconomic indicators and anthropometric data via questionnaire.
Main Results:
- Girls generally exhibited higher PA levels on weekdays compared to weekends across most indicators (moderate, vigorous, total MVPA, steps/day).
- Boys demonstrated higher adherence to MVPA recommendations on both weekdays (32.3%) and weekends (31.1%) compared to girls (19.2% weekdays, 18.1% weekends).
- A household size of two people was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of meeting MVPA (adj. OR = 2.94) and step recommendations (adj. OR = 5.56).
Conclusions:
- Significant gender disparities exist in meeting physical activity recommendations among Polish preschoolers, with boys showing better adherence.
- Household size emerged as a key socioeconomic determinant influencing physical activity levels and guideline adherence in this age group.
- Further research into scheduling differences and their impact on PA, particularly for girls, is warranted.
Abstract:
Physical activity (PA) is as vital for improving the health of young children as it is positively associated with a broad range of psychological, cognitive, and cardio-metabolic outcomes. The aims of this study were to: (1) to assess the level of PA and meeting the WHO recommendations: moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and the number of steps in Polish preschool boys and girls on weekdays and on weekends; (2) to investigate the relationship between selected socioeconomic indicators (self-reported by parents) and PA, including meeting the WHO recommendation for daily MVPA and the number of steps on weekdays and on weekends among Polish preschoolers. Data were collected in the 2017/2018 school year. The study included a total of 522 boys and girls both aged between 5 and 6 years. The ActiGraph GT3X-BT tri-axial accelerometer was used to measure PA. Selected socioeconomic indicators as well as parental body weight and body height were self-reported by parents/caregivers using a questionnaire. In most of the PA indicators analyzed for girls (moderate, vigorous, total MVPA, and steps/day), the averages were higher during the week than during the weekend. Moreover, significantly more boys met the criteria of MVPA, both on weekdays and over the weekend (32.3% boys and 19.2% girls on weekdays and 31.1% boys and 18.1% girls on weekends). Additionally, more boys met the step recommendations, but only on weekends (15.5% boys and 6.6% girls). It was found that if there were two people in a household, there was an almost a three-fold greater chance (adj. OR = 2.94, p = 0.032) of meeting the MVPA criterion with an even stronger association (over fivefold greater chance) in meeting the step recommendation (adj. OR = 5.56, p = 0.033). The differences in the day schedule may potentially contribute with the level of PA in girls. Among the analyzed selected socioeconomic indicators, only the number of people in a household had a significant association on PA.
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