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Reallocation of time between preschoolers' 24-h movement behaviours and executive functions: A compositional data
Zhaoxu Lu1,2,3, Xiao Qu4, Jiahui Chang1,2,3
1Children's Hospital Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Insights
Higher intensity physical activity in preschoolers is linked to better cognitive flexibility. Replacing sedentary time or sleep with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) boosts executive functions (EFs).
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Executive functions (EFs) are crucial for cognitive development in preschoolers.
- Understanding the impact of 24-hour movement behaviors (MB) on EFs is vital for early childhood interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the associations between 24-hour MB (physical activity, sedentary time, sleep) and EFs in preschoolers.
- To quantify how reallocating time among MB impacts EFs.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional survey of 135 preschoolers (3-5 years).
- Objective measurement of physical activity (PA) and sedentary (SED) time using ActiGraph GT9X.
- Parent-reported sleep duration and iPad-based Early Years Toolbox for EFs assessment.
- Compositional regression and isotemporal substitution analyses were employed.
Main Results:
- Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) showed a positive association with cognitive flexibility.
- Replacing sleep or SED time with MVPA was linked to improved cognitive flexibility.
- The negative impact on cognitive flexibility from replacing MVPA with sleep or SED was greater than the benefits of replacing sleep/SED with MVPA.
Conclusions:
- The intensity of physical activity plays a significant role in preschoolers' executive functions.
- Meeting recommended MVPA levels is important for enhancing cognitive flexibility in early childhood.
- Movement behaviors, particularly MVPA, are critical for optimizing executive functions in young children.
Abstract:
The objectives of the survey were to explored the associations of the 24-h movement behaviours (MB) with executive functions (EFs) and quantified the predicted changes in EFs following allocation of time among behaviours. In the cross-sectional survey, 135 preschoolers (3 ~ 5 years) were enrolled. Physical activity (PA) and sedentary (SED) time were objectively measured employing an ActiGraph GT9X. Sleep time was reported by parents. EFs were assessed using the iPad-based Early Years Toolbox which is a collection of computerized tasks consisting of brief tasks assessed from games administered and scored according to protocol. To explore the associations of the 24-h MB with EFs, compositional multiple linear regression was employed. To quantify the predicted changes in EFs following allocation of time among behaviours, compositional isotemporal substitution was used. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was positively related to cognitive flexibility. Replacing sleep or SED with MVPA was associated with positive changes in cognitive flexibility. When MVPA was replaced with sleep or SED, the predicted detriments to cognitive flexibility were larger than predicted benefits of replacing sleep or SED with MVPA. The findings highlight the key role of intensity of PA for preschoolers' EFs and the importance of meeting recommended levels of MVPA.
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