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Topic Editor: John Reilly, PhD, University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom
Sedentary activities are often introduced early on in the infant’s daily routine, and have a tendency to increase steadily from infancy to the preschool years, whereas rates of physical activity tend to be low both at home and in the child care setting. However, these rates also vary across studies and depending on the measurement tool used to assess physical activity. A recent U.S. report estimated that the average preschool child spent 320 minutes per day engaging in physical activity. In contrast, the use of an objective measure in a different study conducted in Australia and Portugal revealed that preschoolers spent 110 to 120 minutes daily engaging in physical activity.
Factors associated with physical activity
Several factors are related to physical activity. Boys and girls who have active parents and who spend a lot of time outdoors are typically the most physically active. Predictors of physical activity vary depending on both the child’s characteristics (e.g., age) and the settings/contexts (e.g., home vs. child care). For example, in preschool, kindergarten and child care settings, children are most active 1) when they play in an unconstrained environment 2) when the duration of recess is shorter, and 3) when the staff is trained to engage children in physical activity. Providing children with play equipments that are both fixed and portable and with opportunities to engage in physical activity also increase their engagement.
Outcomes
Physical inactivity in young children is a risk factor for many health problems such as high blood pressure, weight gain, excess body fat, bad cholesterol, respiratory difficulties, cardiovascular diseases and bone health problems.
The health benefits of physical activity on child development extends much beyond physical health as it also impacts the domains of motor skills, psychological well-being, social competence and emotional maturity. In contrast, sedentary behaviours are considered to pose a threat to young children’s cognitive development. Preschool children who watch a lot of television are likely to experience cognitive difficulties in the school years, including attention deficits, poor language skills, low school achievement, and a short memory span (i.e., a list of items a person can retain).
See also...
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