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Published on: July 27, 2022
Race/Ethnicity and Change in Physical Activity From Infancy to Preschool Age
Sharon E Taverno Ross1, Marsha Dowda2, Myriam E Torres3
1Department of Health and Human Development, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA,USA.
Purpose:
To examine the associations of race/ethnicity with the developmental pattern for physical activity (PA) as children transition from infancy to preschool age, and to examine the influence of race/ethnicity on the associations between parent-reported contextual factors and children's PA.
Method:
Participants included 125 mother/child dyads (n = 38 Black, n = 25 Latino, n = 62 White) completing assessments at 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months of age. Child PA was measured with ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers and mothers completed a survey. Adjusted growth curve models examined the associations of race/ethnicity with the developmental patterns for PA and explored whether the association between change in the contextual variables and PA varied by race/ethnicity.
Results:
Overall, White (P < .001) and Latino (P < .05) children engaged in significantly more PA compared with Black children. Boys accumulated more PA per hour than their female counterparts (P < .001). Race/ethnicity significantly influenced the associations between the PA patterns and television viewing/screen media use, PA equipment in the home, and mothers' report of stressful life events (P < .05).
Conclusion:
This study presents an initial attempt to examine these relationships; more longitudinal research with larger samples are needed. Such knowledge is critical to inform PA interventions to promote PA in children of diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds.
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