Exploring if Playground Quality Predicts Head Start Preschoolers' School Day Physical Activity

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Public Health
• Kinesiology

Background:

• Early Childcare and Education Centers (ECEC) are crucial for promoting physical activity (PA) in preschoolers.
• National PA guidelines recommend specific activity levels for young children.
• The Head Start Body Start Play Space Assessment (PSA) is a tool to evaluate playground quality, but its impact on PA in Head Start programs is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between Head Start playground quality (PSA scores) and preschoolers' school day PA engagement.
• To investigate the association between PSA quality scores and the likelihood of preschoolers meeting national PA guidelines during Head Start hours.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 240 Head Start preschoolers (mean age 3.9 years) from three centers.
• Playground quality was assessed using the PSA.
• Preschoolers' PA was measured using wrist-worn accelerometers (GTX3 Actigraph).

Main Results:

• Most preschoolers met or exceeded recommended PA levels during Head Start hours (77% achieved 15 min/hr, >90% accumulated 60 min MVPA, 50% surpassed 180 min total PA).
• PSA playground quality scores showed no significant relationship with the amount or intensity of preschoolers' PA.
• No significant association was found between PSA scores and meeting national PA guidelines.
• Significant differences in PA engagement were observed based on child sex and the Head Start center attended.

Conclusions:

• Head Start playground quality, as measured by the PSA, did not influence preschoolers' PA engagement or adherence to national guidelines during the school day.
• Future research should explore unique PA patterns observed between Head Start boys and girls, potentially using the PSA.
• While playground quality may not be a direct determinant, ensuring adequate PA opportunities within Head Start remains critical for child health.