Objective Analysis of Preschoolers Physical Activity Patterns during Free Playtime

PURPOSE: Preschool-age children are not meeting the recommended levels of daily physical activity (PA), leading states to implement policies requiring preschools to provide students with 30-60 minutes of free playtime. Preschoolers’ activity patterns are intermittent nature. It is possible that current PA policies are not conducive in increasing PA in preschoolers. Currently, there is no data on the temporal patterns of PA intensities during preschoolers’ free playtime. The purpose of this study was to examine the temporal patterns of preschoolers’ PA levels during a typical 30-minute playtime. METHODS: Baseline playtime accelerometer counts from three preschool intervention studies were utilized (n=363, age=4.0±0.8 years). Thirty minutes of data were collected using 15-second epochs and classified into sedentary, light and moderate-to-vigorous intensity, and averaged in 5-minute blocks [B1 (0-5minute)-B6 (25-30minute)]. Differences between blocks were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA, with a Bonferroni correction for pairwise comparisons. RESULTS: There were significant main effects for percent epochs in sedentary (F (5, 1625)=3.73, p=0.0003), light (F (5, 1625)=2.65, p=0.02) and MVPA (MVPA, F (5, 1625)=2.87, p CONCLUSIONS: The present data suggest that PA strategies should be implemented to improve the activity level of preschoolers within the first and last 10-minutes of a 30-min playtime or providing more frequent, but shorter playtimes. Additional research is needed to understand the play patterns of preschoolers during shorter/longer playtimes

Is African-American Girls’ Perception of their Mother-Daughter Relationship Associated to Psychosocial and Physical Activity Variables?

Maternal influence has been reported to play a significant role in the health behaviors of children. In Caucasian girls, it has been reported that mother-daughter relationship can influence psychosocial variables such as physical activity (PA) self-efficacy. Currently, there is very little data on the impact of African-American girls’ perception of their relationship with their mother and psychosocial variables. PURPOSE: To examine the association between mother-daughter relationship, PA self-efficacy (PA-SE) and PA levels in African-American girls. METHODS: Baseline data from mothers (n=28; age=37.0±6.7 years; BMI=33.5±10.6 kg/m2) and daughters (n=32; age=9.0±1.2 years; BMI=20.4±5.7 kg/m2, 90th percentile) participating in an afterschool mother-daughter PA study was used in this analysis. PA was measured for 7 continuous days using accelerometers. Parental Responsiveness (PR) and Adolescent Openness to Parental Socialization scales were used to assess mother-daughter relationship. Daughters’ self-esteem and depressive symptoms were assessed with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem (RSE) scale and the Child Depression Inventory (CDI), respectively. Participants’ PA-SE was assessed with validated questionnaires. Spearman correlations were used to examine associations between mother-daughter relationship, psychosocial variables, and PA levels. Daughters’ scores for the PR scale were divided into tertiles. Between group (high versus low perception of mother-daughter relationship) differences in psychosocial variables and PA were assessed with t-tests. RESULTS: Daughters’ perception of their mother-daughter relationship was positively correlated with RSE (r=0.36, p=0.04). Daughters’ percent time spent in MVPA was negatively correlated with CDI (r=-0.42, p=0.03) and positively correlated with mothers’ PA-SE (r=0.44, p=0.04). With respect to daughters’ PR scale, significant differences in RSE score (HIGH=23.82±4.33; LOW=18.20±4.87, p=0.01) and percent time spent in sedentary activity (HIGH=27.83±32.31; LOW=57.41±20.93, p=0.02) were observed between tertiles. CONCLUSION: African-American girls’ perception of their relationship with their mother seems to be associated with self-esteem, depressive symptoms and sedentary pursuits. Future studies should target interventions that improve mother-daughter relationship

Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Efficacy of a Recess-Based Fitness Intervention in Elementary School Children

International Journal of Exercise Science 12(4): 1225-1243, 2019. Although fitness may benefit cognition in youth, most attention has been given to cardiorespiratory fitness despite the health benefits of muscular fitness. Few studies have examined interventions that incorporate both cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness or have been offered during school recess. Furthermore, most fitness intervention studies examining cognitive outcomes have not reported on implementation information. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy on fitness and cognition of a recess intervention in elementary school children. Two schools were randomized to either a 3-month cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness intervention (15 minutes/weekday during recess) or control condition (standard recess activities). Process evaluation (feasibility and acceptability) measures were recorded daily (research staff questionnaire), weekly (accelerometer and heart rate monitors), and post-intervention (participant and school-staff questionnaires). Preliminary efficacy measures included pre- and post-intervention inhibition/attention, working memory, and cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness scores. Some feasibility and acceptability measures were favorable (88% of the lessons were implemented, 78% of the lessons were implemented as planned, and the majority of students and school staff were satisfied with most aspects of the intervention). However, intensity adherence during the intervention sessions based on accelerometry (% of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous activity: 41.7 ± 14.5) and participation (19.4% attendance rate) were lower than expected. Preliminary efficacy of the intervention on cognitive and fitness outcomes was not demonstrated. This study provided evidence that some aspects of the fitness intervention were acceptable during school recess. However, important implementation factors (i.e., intervention exposure) should be targeted to improve youth fitness programs offered during this school setting

Process evaluation of a culturally-tailored physical activity intervention in African-American mother-daughter dyads

The purpose of this study was to describe process evaluation data including intervention fidelity, dosage, quality, participant responsiveness, and program reach for the Mothers And dauGhters daNcing togEther Trial (MAGNET) in Springfield, MA, in Spring 2013 and 2014. Seventy-six mother-daughter dyads were randomized to the mother-daughter group (CH-M, n = 28), the child-only group (CH, n = 25), or the health education group (CON, n = 23). CH-M consisted of 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous culturally-tailored dance classes for dyads. CH consisted of dance classes for the child. All groups received homework tutoring and weekly health newsletters. Process evaluation data were assessed at each intervention session (three days/week, 6-months) with semi-structured questionnaires by researchers. CH dance classes were slightly longer (58.2 ± 3.5 min) than CH-M (54.4 ± 5.5 min). In both groups, participants spent the majority of the dance intervention in light intensity physical activity (PA). Participants in the CH-M group enjoyed participating in MAGNET \u3e 90% of the time. Mothers (92%) indicated that they wanted to continue dance as a form of PA. Mothers expressed that transportation, time commitment, and assessments were barriers to participation. Participants suggested future interventions should include longer intervention length and more communications between research staff and mothers. The MAGNET intervention matched the originally intended program in most aspects. A lower intervention dose was delivered to the CH-M group potentially due to barriers described by mothers. Because mother-daughter interventions have shown minimal effects on increasing PA, it is imperative that researchers utilize process evaluation data to shape future studies

Socio-Cultural and Environmental Factors that Influence Weight-Related Behaviors: Focus Group Results from African-American Girls and Their Mothers

African-American girls experience higher rates of obesity than other youth and are more likely to live in environments that may inhibit healthy lifestyles. Focus groups with African-American girls (14.2 ± 2.36 years) and their mothers were conducted to explore socio-cultural and physical factors within the home, neighborhood, and school environments that influence physical activity (PA) and food choices (i.e., availability and accessibility). Being active at home was dependent on availability of unstructured PA, possibility of activity with family/friends/pet, structured sports in the community, and perceived safety of neighborhood. Girls reported unhealthy foods and excessive snacking as issues at home while citing choice of school meals vs. vending machine items and easy accessibility to fast food restaurants as concerns at school. Learning more about the PA and food environments is a fundamental step to develop effective and innovative, environmental strategies to address unhealthy weight-related behaviors in this population

Culturally-appropriate, family- and community-based physical activity and healthy eating Intervention for african-american middle school-aged girls: A feasibility pilot

This study tested the feasibility and acceptability of a physical activity, healthy eating, and social support intervention. Twelve African-American daughter-mother dyads (BMI percentile: daughters=92.6±12.79; BMI: mothers=38.8±5.81 kg/m2) met weekly during the 8-week Intensive Phase; throughout the 6-month Maintenance Phase, participants received monthly newsletters for 3 months and attended monthly face-to-face sessions for 3 months. Daughters and mothers reported positive feedback about intervention activities and educational curriculum. Post-intervention daughter survey results revealed positive trends towards increasing PA; increasing breakfast, water, and fruit/vegetable intake; and reducing sugar sweetened drink consumption. Mothers reported similar behavioral changes. This unique intervention was highly enjoyed by participants and utilized feasible, family-involved strategies to address obesity-related behaviors among African-American females

Defining Accelerometer Thresholds for Physical Activity in Girls Using ROC Analysis

Background Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis is a common method used in diagnostic and screening tests to define thresholds levels of a factor that discriminates between 2 levels of another factor. The purpose of this analysis was to use ROC analysis to determine the optimal accelerometer-measured physical activity (PA) thresholds for predicting selective cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Methods ROC was performed using data from Stanford Girls Health Enrichment Multisite Studies trial. PA was assessed for multiple days using accelerometers. CVD variables were overweight, elevated triglyceride, reduced HDL-C, hypertension, impaired fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and clustering of multiple CVD risk factors. Results A sample of 261 girls participated, of which 208 had complete CVD risk measures (mean ± SD age = 9.4 ± 0.9yrs, BMI = 20.7 ± 4.8kg/m2). An average of ≥11.1 minutes/day at ≥2,600 counts/min was the maximally sensitive and specific threshold for discriminating girls who were overweight, ≥16.6 minutes/day at ≥2,000 counts/min for hyperinsulinemia or with ≥2 CVD risk factors. The Area Under the Curve for overweight, hyperinsulinemia, and ≥2 CVD risk factors was of 0.66, 0.58, and 0.60, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity associated with overweight, hyperinsulinemia, and ≥2 CVD risk factors were 60.3% and 72.9%, 53.3% and 83.9%, 44.0% and 84.7%, respectively. Conclusion Empirically-derived thresholds of PA to optimally discriminate between girls with and without CVD risk were lower in this sample than generally recommended. This ROC approach should be repeated in other populations to determine optimal PA thresholds with clinical validity for research, surveillance and program evaluation

The effects of increasing outdoor play time on physical activity in Latino preschool children,”

Abstract Objective. A randomized controlled pilot study to test the hypothesis that increasing preschool children's outdoor free play time increases their daily physical activity levels. Methods. Physical activity was assessed by accelerometers for four consecutive school days in thirty-two Latino children (3.690.5 years) attending a preschool for low-income families. After two days of baseline physical activity assessment, participants were randomly assigned to an intervention (RECESS; n017) or control (CON; n015) group. The RECESS group received two additional 30-minute periods of outdoor free play time per day for two days. The CON group followed their normal classroom schedule. Between group differences in physical activity variables were tested with a Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Results. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in changes from baseline in average total daily (CON, 48.29114.5; RECESS, 58.2974.6) and during school day (CON, 64.69181.9; RECESS, 59.7979.1) counts per minute, or total daily (CON, 0.491.3; RECESS, 0.390.8) and during school day (CON, 0.692.1; RECESS, 0.590.8) percent of time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity. Conclusions. Substantially increasing preschoolers' outdoor free play time did not increase their physical activity levels. Trial registration name: clinicaltrials.gov; Registration number: NCT0028579

Effect of a School-Based Physical Activity Intervention on Number and Letter Recognition in Preschoolers

International Journal of Exercise Science 11(5): 168-178, 2018. The aims of this study were to determine if physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors were correlated to components of school readiness skills (i.e., symbol recognition – numbers and letters) in preschoolers and to evaluate the efficacy of a 12-week, academically connected PA intervention on letter and number recognition in preschoolers. Two preschool centers were randomized to a 12-week preschool-based PA intervention (INT) that incorporated short-bout PA lessons embedded into the Massachusetts Early Learning Standards or a health-tracking control group (CON). INT preschoolers completed two 10-minute (as part of morning circle time) and three 5-minute bouts (afternoon after naptime) of PA each week. One hundred fourteen students (INT, n = 60; CON, n = 54) participated in the study, but assessment was completed in 52 children INT, n = 26; CON, n = 26). Whole day PA was measured over one week (including one weekend day) by accelerometry at baseline. School readiness skills were assessed by recognition of symbols (i.e. letters and numbers) at baseline and at 12-weeks. Spearman rank correlations were used to assess a relationship between PA and symbol recognition. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the effect of the intervention on symbol recognition. There were no significant correlations between PA and symbol recognition and no significant effect of the intervention on pre- to post-scores. Further research may be valuable to examine the benefits of a preschool PA intervention by utilizing longer intervention periods, additional bouts of academically-tailored PA, and more comprehensive measures of school readiness skills