Clinician and Early Childhood Educator Knowledge and Advice Given to Parents Regarding Physical Activity, Screen Time and Sleep. An Observational Study

Abstract Movement behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior (including screen time), and sleep) have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to report changes in and factors influencing movement behaviors during COVID-19 among Latin American/Latino children aged 1 to 5 years in Chile, Mexico, and the USA. We conducted a cross-sectional study between April and August 2020. Caregivers reported changes in movement behaviors and provided information about family and household characteristics. In total, 4,136 children (mean age [SD], 3.1 [1.4] years; 51% boys). The proportion of children who met the WHO Guidelines decreased significantly in all countries, with large declines in meeting the physical activity and screen time guidelines. Factors associated with changes were being an older child, unable to attend an early childhood education and care service, higher parental education levels, not having the opportunity to play with someone, and not having access to spaces to play. During COVID-19, Latino parents reported changes in physical activity, screen time, and sleep quality among their toddlers and preschoolers. The findings highlight the need to minimize disparities faced by families by providing access to early childhood education and care and safe places for children to play.

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The Place of Physical Activity in the Time Budgets of 10- to 13-Year-Old Australian Children

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.8.4.548 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 548-557 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Tim Olds ◽

Carol Ann Maher ◽

Kate Ridley

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Observational Study ◽

Active Transport ◽

Screen Time ◽

Time Distribution ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

After School ◽

Time Budgets ◽

School Period ◽

Unstructured Play

Background:Low physical activity has been associated with increased fatness and deceased fitness. This observational study aimed to describe the magnitude, composition, and time-distribution of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in Australian children.Methods:A total of 1132 10 to 13 year old schoolchildren completed a 24-h activity recall diary on 2 to 4 occasions. MVPA was defined as any activity requiring ≥3METs, including sport, play, active transport, chores, and other activities.Results:MVPA was higher in boys than girls (173 vs 140 min/day; P < .0001), higher on nonschool days than school days (166 vs 143 min/day; P < .0001), and decreased with age (9 min/day per year of age). MVPA consisted of structured sport (37%), active transport (26%), unstructured play (24%), and chores/miscellaneous activities (13%). Every hour of MVPA was associated with a reduction in screen time (26.5 min), non-screen-based sedentary pastimes (8 min), and sleep (5.5 min). The least active quartile of children were more likely to be girls (OR = 3.4), have higher screen time, and sleep more. From 4:00−6:30 PM on school days there were large differences in participation between high-active and low-active children.Conclusion:Findings suggest MVPA interventions should target girls, screen time and focus on the after-school period.

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Meeting 24-hour movement behavior guidelines in young children: Improved quantity estimation and self-regulation

10.31234/osf.io/34v8w ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Amanda Lee McGowan ◽

Hope K. Gerde ◽

Karin A. Pfeiffer ◽

Matthew B. Pontifex

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Academic Achievement ◽

Early Childhood ◽

Screen Time ◽

Challenging Behaviors ◽

Self Regulation ◽

World Health ◽

Movement Behavior ◽

Activity Promotion ◽

The Relationship

Children who exhibit challenging behaviors, including low self-regulation, inattention, and lack of inhibitory control, may miss out on learning opportunities and could even face expulsion. Although physical activity supports academic achievement and self-regulatory skills in older children, the relationship among physical activity, sleep, screen time, aspects of self-regulation, and early academic achievement remain underspecified during early childhood. The present study examined the associations among meeting 24-hour movement behavior recommendations set by the World Health Organization (2019) and young children’s self-regulation and quantity estimation skills in a sample of 123 children (n = 65 female; 4.9 ± 0.7 years). Meeting screen time recommendations alone, meeting physical activity recommendations in combination with either sleep or screen time recommendations, meeting more recommendations overall, and being active more days weekly were associated with superior quantity estimation. Meeting more guidelines and accruing more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily related to better self-regulation. Moreover, self-regulation partially mediated the relationship between physical activity and quantity estimation. Our findings identify benefits for adopting specific physical activity guidelines for children (e.g., physical activity, screen time, and sleep duration) and perhaps integrating these into early learning standards for schools so both families and schools can support children’s capacity to meet 24-hr movement guidelines and thus support cognitive health. An active lifestyle in early childhood may support young children’s self-regulation and early educational outcomes, with physical activity promotion efforts during early childhood serving as a viable means to address growing expulsion rates in preschool-aged children.

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Relating outdoor play to sedentary behavior and physical activity in youth - results from a cohort study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11754-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Carina Nigg ◽

Claudia Niessner ◽

Claudio R. Nigg ◽

Doris Oriwol ◽

Steffen C. E. Schmidt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Early Childhood ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Sedentary Behavior ◽

Screen Time ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Outdoor Play ◽

Childhood And Adolescence ◽

Research Gaps ◽

Cross Sectional

Abstract Background Outdoor play, sedentary behavior (SB), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) are related to youth’s health, however, there are research gaps regarding 1) associations between outdoor play, SB, and MVPA across a broad pediatric age range (6–17 years), and 2) longitudinal associations between outdoor play, SB, and MVPA across childhood and adolescence. Two studies were conducted to address those research gaps: Study 1 aimed to investigate relationships between outdoor play and accelerometer-assessed SB and MVPA in a cross-sectional nationwide sample of children and adolescents in Germany. Study 2 aimed to investigate prospective associations between outdoor play and self-reported screen-time SB and MVPA and in a sample of children with three measurement timepoints across 11 years. Methods Data were obtained of the German national representative Motorik-Modul (MoMo) Study and the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS). In Study 1, N = 2278 participants (6–17 years) were included with self-reported outdoor play and accelerometer-assessed SB and MVPA. Associations were examined via multiple linear regressions. In Study 2, N = 570 participants (baseline: 4–7 years) were included in the longitudinal analysis with follow-ups six and 11 years later. Screen-time SB (TV watching and PC/Gaming), MVPA, and outdoor play were self-reported. Associations were investigated through a path prediction model. Results Study 1 showed that compared to <1 h outdoor play, higher engagement in daily outdoor play was related to lower SB (1-2 h: − 9.75 min/day, P = 0.017; ≥2 h: − 17.78 min/day, P < 0.001) and higher MVPA (≥2 h: + 3.87 min/day, P = 0.001). The cross-sectional relationship between MVPA and outdoor play was moderated by sex (in favor of males) and age (in favor of younger children). Study 2 showed that outdoor play in early childhood negatively predicted PC use/Gaming in later childhood, but was unrelated to MVPA. Conclusion In Study 1, outdoor play was negatively related to SB cross-sectionally. In Study 2, outdoor play in early childhood was negatively related to PC and Gaming time in later childhood. Thus, providing outdoor play opportunities, especially during early childhood, has potential to prevent SB. Future research should investigate longitudinal relationships using device-based assessments for SB and MVPA.

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