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Associations between family factors and physical activity clustering in preschool children: a cross-sectional study

Ting Huang1,2, Guanggao Zhao2, Jinmei Fu3

  • 1School of Physical Education and Sport Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China.

Frontiers in Public Health
|November 15, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Family factors significantly influence preschool children's physical activity (PA) patterns. Parental engagement and resources, like paternal age and maternal income, are key to promoting active lifestyles in early childhood.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Behavioral Science
  • Family Studies

Background:

  • Physical activity (PA) in early childhood is crucial for long-term health.
  • Understanding factors influencing PA patterns in preschool children is essential for developing targeted interventions.
  • Clustering of PA provides insights into how children engage in physical activity throughout the day.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between family factors and physical activity (PA) clustering in preschool children.
  • To identify distinct patterns of PA in preschool children.
  • To analyze how family-related variables influence these PA patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized ActiGraph accelerometers to measure PA and sedentary behavior (SB) over 7 days in 291 preschoolers (aged 3-6 years).
  • Employed a two-step clustering approach with Euclidean distance and Schwarz-Bayesian criterion to identify PA clusters.
  • Collected family and parental data via questionnaires and analyzed influencing factors using logistic regression.

Main Results:

  • Identified three PA clusters: Inactive (50.2%), Active in kindergarten (26.8%), and Active outside kindergarten (23.0%), with significant differences in PA and SB.
  • Found significant correlations between PA levels and gender, age, birth weight, paternal age, and maternal income.
  • Paternal age (OR=1.01) and birth weight (OR=1.79) were positively associated with activity, while female gender (OR=0.35) and higher maternal income (OR=0.68) were associated with lower activity levels in certain clusters.

Conclusions:

  • Family environment and parental characteristics significantly impact preschool children's PA.
  • Factors such as paternal age and maternal income can influence children's opportunities and engagement in physical activity.
  • Interventions should consider family-centered approaches to enhance PA in early childhood.
Abstract

Keywords:
clusteringfamily factorsparentsphysical activitypreschool childrensedentary behavior

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