A cohort study of factors influencing the physical fitness of preschool children: a decision tree analysis

Effects of 12-week integrative neuromuscular training on muscular fitness and sex differences in response to intervention in five- to six-year-old preschoolers

Objectives

This study examined the effects of a 12-week integrative neuromuscular training (INT) program on muscular fitness in male and female five- to six-year-old preschoolers.

Methods

Thirty preschoolers were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (EG; n = 15; age = 5.3 ± 0.5 years, body height = 115.3 ± 5.2 cm, body mass = 20.7 ± 2.6 kg) or a control group (CG; n = 15; age = 5.2 ± 0.4 years, body height = 118.5 ± 4.9 cm, body mass = 22.6 ± 2.7 kg) participating in a 12-week INT program and regular physical education classes three times per week, respectively. Upper extremity maximal strength (grip strength test) and power (tennis ball throwing test), core endurance strength (one-minute sit-up test), and lower extremity power (standing long jump test) were assessed at the baseline (T0), Week 6 (T6), and Week 12 (T12). Data were analyzed using an independent samples T-test and a two-way repeated-measures ANOVA.

Results

Significant interaction effects between the EG and CG were observed for grip strength, tennis ball throws, one-minute sit-ups, and standing long jumps (p < 0.001). Relative to the CG, the EG demonstrated significant improvements in all muscular fitness at T6 and T12 (p < 0.05). However, no significant interaction was found between the time and the sex (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

These findings suggested that a 12-week INT program can more effectively enhance the muscular fitness of 5-6-year-old preschoolers compared to regular physical education classes, serving as an effective and efficient supplement to physical education for this age group. Furthermore, there is no evidence of sex -specific differences in the development of muscular fitness among 5-6-year-old preschoolers under the INT program.

Relationship between dietary intake and growth and development in Chinese pupils

Background

A nutritional diet is essential for children's growth and development. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary intake and growth and development of pupils to provide more specific nutritional recommendations for their healthy growth.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 592 pupils, and standardized questionnaires were used to collect information on students' sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle habits and dietary intake. Growth and development assessment indicators were measured according to standard protocols. The multivariate generalized linear regression models adjusted for covariates were used to investigate the association between dietary intake and growth and development of pupils.

Results

The generalized linear regression model showed that standing long jump of all pupils (β = -6.735, 95% CI: -12.064, -1.406) and body fat rate (β = -2.650, 95% CI: -4.794, -0.507), fat weight (β = -1.283, 95% CI: -2.286, -0.280) and chest circumference (β = -1.456, 95% CI: -2.789, -0.123) of boys were negatively correlated with dietary diversity score. Among all pupils, meat intake was positively correlated with chest circumference (β = 0.420, 95% CI: 0.119, 0.721) and negatively correlated with standing long jump(β = -1.991, 95% CI: -3.902, -0.080); milk intake was positively correlated with waist circumference (β = 0.470, 95% CI: 0.007, 0.932); soybean intake was negatively correlated with body fat rate (β = -0.583, 95% CI: -1.125, -0.042), fat weight (β = -0.262, 95% CI: -0.517, -0.006), and waist circumference (β = -0.607, 95% CI: -1.050, -0.164); and vegetable intake was negatively correlated with height (β = -0.290, 95% CI: -0.496, -0.084), and positively correlated with stature-sitting height index and waist circumference (p < 0.05). Certain associations retained significance even after stratified analysis based on gender and frequency of dietary intake.

Conclusion

Dietary diversity score and their respective food groups such as meat, milk, coarse grain, soybean and vegetable will impact growth and development indicators, requiring purposefully controlled dietary intake.

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

Objective

This study aimed to examine the association between family factors and physical activity (PA) clustering in preschool children.

Methods

Preschoolers' PA and sedentary behavior (SB) were assessed consecutively for 7 days using ActiGraph accelerometers based on the cutoff counts developed by Pate et al. Information about children, their parents, and their families was collected using questionnaires. We developed a two-step approach to clustering PA both inside and outside of kindergarten. The Euclidean distance metric was utilized to distinguish between groups, while the Schwarz-Bayesian criterion was applied to identify the most optimal sub-group model. A one-way ANOVA was used to assess the clustering effect, and logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of different clustering.

Results

We collected data from 291 preschool children aged 3 to 6 years and divided them into three clusters-Inactive (50.2%), Active in kindergarten (26.8%), and Active outside kindergarten (23.0%)-with significant differences in PA and SB, revealing distinct temporal and spatial clustering patterns (silhouette coefficient = 0.3, p < 0.05). Furthermore, preschooler activity levels correlated significantly with factors including gender (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.19-0.66), age (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00-1.10), birth weight (OR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.16-2.76), paternal age (OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00-1.02), and maternal income (OR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.48-0.96).

Conclusion

This study shows that the family environment or parents significantly influence the PA of preschool children. Older fathers may promote preschool children's PA through greater educational focus and financial stability, while higher maternal income can provide more opportunities and resources for preschool children to engage in active lifestyles. Thus, it is suggested that families providing more attention and exercise opportunities for preschool children's education can help improve their PA levels in the future.

Association between BMI and health-related physical fitness in adolescents with hearing impairment in China: a cross-sectional study

Background

This cross-sectional study aimed to address a critical gap in the understanding of the association between body mass index (BMI) and physical fitness levels in adolescents with hearing impairment (HI) in China. This study investigated how different BMI levels impact the physical fitness index (PFI) of HI adolescents.

Methods

This study employed a physical fitness test for HI adolescents attending special education schools. The test included eight components: height, weight, 50-m sprint, standing long jump, sit and reach, endurance run, bent-knee sit-up (for girls), and pull-up (for boys). Test scores for each student were standardized by age and gender. Individual Z-scores were then calculated, and the sum of these Z-scores constituted the PFI. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between BMI and PFI across different gender and age groups. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.

Results

The linear regression model showed an inverted U-shaped relationship between BMI and PFI. At the same BMI level, boys exhibited superior physical fitness compared to girls with the same BMI (P < 0.05). Statistically significant differences in PFI levels were observed between normal-weight and obese males, as well as between underweight and obese boys (P < 0.05). In the 13-15 and 16-18 age groups, the increase in BMI has a greater impact on boys PFI than on girls.

Conclusions

Adolescents with HI generally demonstrated good physical fitness. Compared to individuals with normal weight, those who were underweight, overweight, or obese exhibited lower levels of physical fitness. Future interventions should focus on adolescents with HI with abnormal BMI.

Relationship between 24-h activity behavior and body fat percentage in preschool children: based on compositional data and isotemporal substitution analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to elucidate the dose‒response relationship between 24-h activity behaviors and body fat percentage (BFP) in Chinese preschool children using a compositional isotemporal substitution model (ISM).

METHODS

In a cross-sectional design, 881 children aged 3-6 from urban and rural areas of Jiangxi Province were sampled. Activity behaviors, including sedentary behavior (SB), low-intensity physical activity (LPA), and moderate- to high-intensity physical activity (MVPA), were measured using accelerometers. Sleep patterns were assessed through questionnaires, and BFP was determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). The study employed compositional data analysis (CoDA) and ISM to estimate the impact of reallocating durations of different activity behaviors on BFP.

RESULTS

Higher BFP was found in urban vs. rural children, decreasing with age. Overweight and obesity rates were 10.6% and 7.6%, respectively, above national averages. MVPA and LPA were negatively correlated with BFP, while SB was positively correlated. A 30-min MVPA reduction significantly increased zBFR, particularly in overweight children. Gender-specific nuances revealed that boys' MVPA negatively influenced zBFP (β = -0.155), P < 0.05), while girls' SB positively impacted zBFP (β = 0.636, P < 0.01). Isotemporal simulations emphasized amplified effects in overweight children, with boys' zBFR rising rapidly when MVPA was substituted and girls displaying a notable substitution effect between SB and LPA.

CONCLUSION

BFP is closely linked to 24-h activity behaviors, notably in overweight and obese preschoolers. ISM identified MVPA as a critical influencer, with a 30-min reduction substantially increasing BFP. Gender disparities were evident, implicating MVPA in boys and LPA and SB in girls.