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Wadsworth DD, Spring KE. The Impact of an Acute Active Reading Intervention on Physical Activity Levels in Preschoolers: A Comparative Analysis. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 11:183. [PMID: 38397295 PMCID: PMC10887753 DOI: 10.3390/children11020183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of an active reading intervention on physical activity (PA) levels in preschoolers. Participants were recruited from the 3-5-year-old classes at two preschools. A total of six classrooms and 37 children participated in three conditions: an active reading book read by a researcher (Act_R) trained in active play techniques, an active reading book read by a preschool classroom teacher (Act_T), and a book about health behavior read by both the researcher and the teacher (Sed_H). The order in which classes received each condition was randomized. The Actigraph accelerometer assessed PA. Motor skills were assessed with the Peabody Motor Development Scale, 2nd Edition. Participants spent significantly more time in sedentary behavior during the Sed_H condition compared to Act_R (p < 0.000) and Act_T (p < 0.008). Participants spent significantly more time in MVPA during Act_R compared to Act_T (p = 0.030), Act_T compared to Sed_H (p < 0.001), and Act_R compared to Sed_H (p < 0.001). The amount of MVPA participation within the active reading sessions was not dependent upon the level of fundamental motor skill competence. Active reading books may provide a feasible method to incorporate physical activity and active play into the preschool day.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle D. Wadsworth
- Exercise Adherence and Obesity Prevention Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA;
| | - Katherine E. Spring
- Exercise Adherence and Obesity Prevention Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA;
- Pediatric Obesity and Health Behavior Laboratory, Division of Population and Public Health Science, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA
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When Are Children Most Physically Active? An Analysis of Preschool Age Children’s Physical Activity Levels. CHILDREN 2022; 9:children9071015. [PMID: 35883999 PMCID: PMC9322600 DOI: 10.3390/children9071015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The levels of physical activity (PA) in the population have decreased, especially at an early age. The aims of the study were: to evaluate the percentage of children meeting PA recommendations for both genders, and to measure steps and PA level at different time intervals during the week. This was an observational cross-sectional study. Seventy-three schoolchildren (36 boys and 37 girls), aged two years (2.12 ± 0.46), were selected to participate in this study. Participants wore an “Actigraph GT3X” accelerometer for seven days to measure the minutes engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and step volume. The results show 100% of the children studied met the recommended 60 min/day of MVPA, and 50% achieved 120 min/day MVPA and 13,000 steps per day. No gender differences were found. The results of the analysis show a propensity for higher step volumes and PA values from Monday to Friday. In addition, subjects achieved higher step volumes and PA values during “School Time” than “Out-of-School Time”. Given that during “School Time” children showed higher PA and step values, schools represent an important place to help facilitate PA milestones. This study shows the need for further studies and interventions aimed at understanding and improving children’s PA levels at an early age.
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Barriers and Facilitators to Toddlers’ Physical Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic, as Perceived by Teachers, Principals and Parents: A Challenge for the Early Childhood Educational Environments. EDUCATION SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/educsci12050349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The aim of our study was to explore the barriers and facilitators that teachers, principals, and parents face when adapting to COVID-19 pandemic scenario in terms of promoting toddlers’ physical activity (PA). Thirty-four (20 teachers and principals, and 14 parents) semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted from October 2020 to March 2021. The socioecological model has enabled the identification of barriers and facilitators, some of which are related to the pandemic and others which are not. The main results suggest that upon reopening the ECEC institutions, regarding environmental barriers, educators mentioned the impact on the use of space, and parents, the modification of daily activities generated by COVID-19. However, educators also considered that the presence of suitable spaces in the school for practicing PA was a facilitator. At the intra- and interpersonal level, facilitators of PA that were unrelated to the pandemic included, for parents, the predisposition of children to be physically active and their own function as role models, and for educators, the curricular practices themselves. At an environmental level, the risk of danger in the traditional classroom plus bad weather were considered barriers by educators, while parents mentioned difficulties accessing outdoor space and the poor suitability of indoor spaces. Our results suggest the simultaneous analysis of the perceptions of different actors in the educational environments offers a broad vision of the ecological alternatives for offering children opportunities for PA in these difficult times.
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Nobre JNP, Morais RLDS, Prat BV, Fernandes AC, Viegas ÂA, Figueiredo PHS, Costa HS, Camargos ACR, de Alcantara MA, Mendonça VA, Lacerda ACR. Physical environmental opportunities for active play and physical activity level in preschoolers: a multicriteria analysis. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:340. [PMID: 35177034 PMCID: PMC8855597 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-12750-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Active play opportunities seems to influence the level of physical activity during childhood. However, a gap remains about which environmental opportunities including the daycare physical environment could have a positive impact on the level of physical activity in preschoolers. Objectives (1) To develop an index to measure the environmental opportunities of free active play for preschoolers of middle-income countries; (2) to check the relationship and contribution of the index to explain objectively the level of physical activity. Methods A quantitative, cross-sectional, exploratory study with 51 preschool children. The established criteria for the index according to the literature were: (1) Outdoor time on typical days of the week. (2) Outdoor time on a typical weekend day. (3) The presence of internal space and external environment in the child’s home that allows playing. (4) Presence of patio with space for games at the school. (5) Presence of a playground with a toy at the school. We applied multi-attribute utility theory for the determination of the multicriteria index of physical environmental opportunities. Pearson’s correlation analysis and simple linear regression were used to verify the association between the index and the physical activity level. Results The index showed a positive correlation with the level of physical activity, e.g., the average time of MVPA (r = 0.408, p = 0.003). The univariate linear regression demonstrated that the quality of physical environmental opportunities for physical activity explained 20% of the preschooler’s classification as active and 16% of the time in moderate to vigorous physical activity (p < 0.001). Conclusion Physical environmental opportunities for active play have a positive effect on physical activity in preschoolers and should be encouraged in different social segments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Nogueira Pontes Nobre
- Centro Integrado de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Saúde (CIPq-Saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Rosane Luzia De Souza Morais
- Faculdade de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Bernat Viñola Prat
- Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia (ICT - UFVJM) e SaSA, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Amanda Cristina Fernandes
- Centro Integrado de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Saúde (CIPq-Saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ângela Alves Viegas
- Centro Integrado de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Saúde (CIPq-Saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Henrique Silveira Costa
- Faculdade de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Marcus Alessandro de Alcantara
- Faculdade de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Amaral Mendonça
- Faculdade de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana Cristina Rodrigues Lacerda
- Faculdade de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Vega-Perona H, Estevan I, García-Ochoa YC, Martínez-Bello DA, Bernabé-Villodre MDM, Martínez-Bello VE. Role of Spanish Toddlers' Education and Care Institutions in Achieving Physical Activity Recommendations in the COVID-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional Study. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 9:51. [PMID: 35053676 PMCID: PMC8774401 DOI: 10.3390/children9010051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
To our knowledge, there are no published studies that describe the physical activity (PA) levels and objectively measure them through accelerometry in toddlers (2-3 years old) attending early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aims of this study were two-fold: (a) to analyse toddlers' PA levels and sedentary behaviour (SB) during school hours in ECEC institutions, as well as the rate of adherence to specific recommendations on total PA (TPA) and moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA); and (b) to evaluate the characteristics correlates (age, gender, and body mass index -BMI) of young children and the school environment on toddlers' TPA, light PA (LPA), MVPA, and SB during school hours in ECEC institutions. PA was evaluated with ActiGraph accelerometers. The main findings were that: (a) toddlers engaged in very high amounts of TPA and MVPA during ECEC hours; (b) girls and boys displayed similar levels of LPA, TPA, and SB, while girls had lower levels of MVPA, compared to boys, and younger toddlers were less active than older ones; (c) BMI was not associated with PA of any intensity or SB; (d) playground and classroom density were not associated with higher levels of PA of any intensity, though classroom density was associated with SB. These ECEC institutions provide and challenge the new COVID-19 scenario, as well as supportive environments for toddlers' PA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herminia Vega-Perona
- Department of Teaching of Musical, Visual and Corporal Expression, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain; (H.V.-P.); (I.E.); (M.d.M.B.-V.)
- COS Research Group, Body, Movement, Music and Curricular Practices, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain;
| | - Isaac Estevan
- Department of Teaching of Musical, Visual and Corporal Expression, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain; (H.V.-P.); (I.E.); (M.d.M.B.-V.)
- AFIPS Research Group, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Yolanda Cabrera García-Ochoa
- COS Research Group, Body, Movement, Music and Curricular Practices, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain;
- Department of Language Theory and Communication Sciences, Faculty of Philology, Translation and Communication, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Daniel A. Martínez-Bello
- Programa de Bacteriología y Laboratorio Clínico, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas y de la Salud, Universidad de Santander, Bucaramanga Cl. 45 11-52, Colombia;
| | - María del Mar Bernabé-Villodre
- Department of Teaching of Musical, Visual and Corporal Expression, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain; (H.V.-P.); (I.E.); (M.d.M.B.-V.)
- COS Research Group, Body, Movement, Music and Curricular Practices, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain;
| | - Vladimir E. Martínez-Bello
- Department of Teaching of Musical, Visual and Corporal Expression, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain; (H.V.-P.); (I.E.); (M.d.M.B.-V.)
- COS Research Group, Body, Movement, Music and Curricular Practices, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain;
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Relationship Between the Physical Environment and Physical Activity Levels in Preschool Children: A Systematic Review. Curr Environ Health Rep 2021; 8:177-195. [PMID: 33934294 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-021-00318-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The aim of this study was to understand the influence of the physical environment on the physical activity (PA) behavior of preschool children (aged 2 to 6 years), in order to provide an overview of these influences from the perspective of the ecological model. RECENT FINDINGS PA is of great importance for the prevention of obesity and cardiovascular diseases since childhood. The physical environment has a direct relationship with the different domains, where people can spend their time being physically active. Nonetheless, despite the importance of the physical environment to engagement in PA, very few reviews have focused on this relationship in the context of the growing problem of physical inactivity among preschool children. Studies that had analyzed the school domain had found that greater availability of a wider variety of portable play equipment, presence of certain fixed playground equipment, and presence of open spaces had favored PA levels. Furthermore, different studies had shown that the natural environment and the presence of hills were important for children's PA. Thus, despite the associations with PA we were able to identify in this review, new studies will still be needed to link the physical environment with PA levels, especially regarding transportation and leisure time. In conclusion, promoting studies on this subject from an early age will allow us to obtain information that could allow the adaptation, design, and construction of healthier homes, neighborhoods, and schools that promote children's health.
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Martínez-Bello VE, Estevan I. Physical Activity and Motor Competence in Preschool Children. CHILDREN-BASEL 2021; 8:children8040305. [PMID: 33923383 PMCID: PMC8071540 DOI: 10.3390/children8040305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir E. Martínez-Bello
- COS Research Group, Body, Movement, Music and Curricular Practices, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain
- Department of Teaching of Musical, Visual and Corporal Expression, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain;
- Correspondence:
| | - Isaac Estevan
- Department of Teaching of Musical, Visual and Corporal Expression, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain;
- Activitat Física i Promoció de la Salut (AFIPS) Research Group, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain
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