Preschool children's context-specific sedentary behaviours and parental socioeconomic status in Finland : a cross-sectional study

Objectives This study examined the associations of parental socioeconomic status (SES) with preschoolers' objectively measured sedentary time (SED) over the course of a week and with parent-reported children's screen and reading times at home as indicators of sedentary behaviours (SB). Design Cross-sectional. Setting In years 2015 and 2016 in Finland. Participants 864 children, aged 3-6 years, with their parents. Outcome measures Children's accelerometer data were transformed into average SED minutes per hour in different contexts (preschool, home during preschool days, weekend and total). Parent-reported children's screen and reading times were expressed as average daily minutes. The SES indicators (maternal and paternal education and relative household income) were grouped into three categories. Linear or logistic regression analyses were used, with municipality, season, and children's gender and age as covariates. CIs were adjusted for clustering at the preschool group level. Results Children with low maternal (beta=17.21, 95% CI: 8.71 to 25.71) and paternal (beta=10.54, 95% CI: 0.77 to 20.30) education had more overall screen time at home than their more advantaged counterparts. SES differences in overall screen time were mostly explained by TV viewing. Children with low as opposed to high maternal education (beta=-2.66, 95% CI: -4.95 to -0.38) had less reading time at home. Children whose fathers were on the middle (beta=-1.15, 95% CI: -2.01 to -0.29) educational level had less weekend SED than those with high paternal education. Otherwise, parental SES was not related to objectively measured SED. Conclusions The results of this study highlight the fact that the associations between parental SES and preschoolers' SB are dependent on the indicators of SES and SBs, and vary between different contexts. Generally, parental SES was not associated with SED, whereas some SES differences existed in screen time and reading time at home. Interventions aiming to diminish SES differences in children's SB should focus on home hours.Peer reviewe

Reproducibility of preschool personnel and guardian reports on energy balance-related behaviors and their correlates in Finnish preschool children

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Preschool Environmental Factors, Parental Socioeconomic Status, and Children’s Sedentary Time : An Examination of Cross-Level Interactions

Preschool children's high levels of sedentary time (ST) is a public health concern. As preschool reaches a large population of children from different socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds, more knowledge on how the preschool setting is associated with children's ST is relevant. Our aims were to examine (1) the associations of preschool setting (covering social, physical, and organizational level) with children's ST, and (2) the moderating role of the setting on the association between parental SES and children's ST. In the cross-sectional DAGIS (increased health and wellbeing in preschools) study, the participating children (n = 864, aged 3-6 years) were asked to wear an accelerometer for one week. In total, 779 children had valid ST accelerometer data during preschool hours. Preschool setting and parental SES was assessed by questionnaires and observation. Multilevel linear regression models with cross-level interactions were applied to examine the associations. Early educators' practice of breaking children's ST often, more frequent physical activity (PA) theme weeks, and higher number of physical education (PE) lessons were associated with lower children's ST. Higher parental SES was associated with higher children's ST in preschools (1) with organized sedentary behavior theme weeks, (2) with a lower number of PA theme weeks, and (3) with a lower number of PE lessons. The factors identified in this study could be targeted in future interventions.Peer reviewe

Vanhempien käsityksiä päiväkoti-ikäisten lasten kasvisten, hedelmien ja sokeripitoisten elintarvikkeiden syömiseen vaikuttavista tekijöistä

Vanhempien käsityksiä siitä, mitkä asiat vaikuttavat päiväkoti-ikäisten lasten kasvisten, hedelmien ja sokeripitoisten elintarvikkeiden syömiseen, ei ole juuri tutkittu. Vanhempien merkitys on kuitenkin keskeinen lasten ravitsemuksessa. Tässä tutkimuksessa selvitetään vanhempien käsityksiä lasten hedelmien, kasvisten ja sokeripitoisten elintarvikkeiden syöntiin vaikuttavista tekijöistä. Kuusi fokusryhmähaastattelua toteutettiin 3–5-vuotiaiden lasten vanhemmille (N=17) syksyllä 2014. Kaksi tutkijaa analysoi haastatteluaineiston itsenäisesti. Tutkimuksen tulokset luokiteltiin neljälle vuorovaikutuksen tasolle: a) lapsi ja vanhemmat (lapsen persoonallisuuden piirteet, vanhempien roolimalli), b) kodin fyysinen ja sosiaalinen ympäristö (vanhempien viitseliäisyys, vanhemmuuskäytännöt säätelevät esille laittoa), c) koti ja päiväkoti (päiväkodista uusia makuja perheen arkeen, ateriarytmi) ja d) kotiympäristö ja yhteiskunta (kasvisten ja hedelmien kalleus, julkinen keskustelu). Johtopäätöksenä voidaan todeta, että vanhemmat käsittivät olevansa vuorovaikutuksessa lasten, kodin ympäristön, päiväkodin ja yhteiskunnan kanssa koskien lasten kasvisten, hedelmien ja sokeripitoisten elintarvikkeiden syöntiä. Vanhempien tietoisuuden lisääminen rajoituksista ja selkeistä säännöistä voi olla hyödyllistä. Lisätutkimuksia tarvitaan päiväkodin ja kodin välisestä vuorovaikutuksesta sekä sosioekonomisen aseman merkityksestä.Parents’ perceptions about factors related to their children’s fruit- and vegetable (FV) and sugar-enriched food intake is a less studied subject, even if it is well-known that parents have an important role for their children’s food intake. This study aims to bring up parents’ perceptions of factors influencing children’s intake of FV and sugar-enriched foods. Focus groups (n=6) were conducted among parents (n=17) of 3 to 5–year old children during autumn 2014. Two researchers independently analysed the data. The data was classified into four groups based on the interactions between factors influencing children’s food intake: a) the interaction between child and parents (factors such as the personality of the child, parents as role models), b) the physical and social environment of the home (such as the efforts parents put on feeding, practices related to availability), c) home and preschool (such as new foods tasted at preschool and then tastes are tasted at home, the meal pattern) d) home and the society (the price of FV, the public discussion about food and health). In conclusion, parents’ perceived that they interact with their children, with the home environment, the preschool, and the society when influencing their children’s FV and sugar-enriched food intake. Increasing parents’ awareness and knowledge about food parenting practices and clearly outspoken rules could be beneficial for children’s food intake. More research is needed about the interaction between preschool and home, and about the role of socioeconomic status for children’s food intake

Parental Education and Pre-School Children's Objectively Measured Sedentary Time : The Role of Co-Participation in Physical Activity

Parental co-participation in physical activity (PA) may be a beneficial parenting practice for diminishing children's sedentary time (ST). Less information is available, however, on the explanatory role of co-participation in PA regarding parental educational differences in children's ST. Preschool-aged children (N = 864, mean age 4.8, 52% boys) with their parents participated in a cross-sectional DAGIS (Increased Health and Wellbeing in Pre-schools) study between years 2015 and 2016. Children (N = 821) wore an accelerometer for one week. Parents were informed of their educational background, and the frequency of visits with their child in nature, to parks or playgrounds, their own yard, and indoor sport facilities (N = 808). Testing the associations required multiple regression analyses. Parents with a low educational background reported more frequent visits with their child to their own yard, and these visits were associated with children's lower ST. More highly educated parents co-visited indoor sport facilities more frequently, although this did not have a significant association with children's ST. More frequent visits in nature were associated with a lower ST at weekdays, regardless of educational background. Future health promotion strategies should inform parents that frequent co-participation in PA, for example, in one's own yard, is beneficial for lowering children's ST.Peer reviewe

Individual-, home- and preschool-level correlates of preschool children's sedentary time

Background Prechoolers' significant portions of sedentary time (ST) is a public-health concern due to its high prevalence and negative health consequences. However, few studies have explored correlates of preschoolers' ST covering individual-, home- and preschool- factors within one study. The aim of this study was to identify the associations between multiple individual-, home- and preschool-level factors and preschoolers' ST. In addition, it was studied how much individual-, home- and preschool-level factors explained the variance in children's ST. Methods A total of 864 children aged three to six, their parents and 66 preschools participated in the cross-sectional DAGIS study, which occurred between 2015 and 2016. The children wore an accelerometer for 1 week. Guardians, principals and early educators completed questionnaires covering the potential correlates of children's ST, for example, temperament, practices, self-efficacy and regulations. Multilevel regression analyses were conducted in multiple steps; calculation of marginal and conditional R-2 values occurred in the final phase. Results Of the 29 studied correlates, the following factors remained significant in the final models. Being a boy (p <0.001) and having high levels of surgency temperament (p <0.001) were associated with lower ST. Regarding the home setting, frequent co-visits in physical activity (PA) places (p = 0.014) were associated with lower ST. Higher parental perceived barriers related to children's outside PA (p = 0.032) was associated with higher ST. None of the preschool setting factors remained significant in the final model. Approximately 11% of the variance in children's ST was attributed to factors related to the individual level whereas 5% was attributed to home-level factors; and 2% to preschool-level factors. Conclusions This study identified a set of correlates of preschool children's ST. Interventions aimed at reducing children's ST should develop strategies targeting established correlates of preschoolers' ST covering individual-, home- and preschool-level factors. The preschool-level factors included in this study explained little the variance in children's ST. However, the included measures may not have captured the essential preschool-level factors that specifically influence children's ST. Therefore, more studies are needed regarding potential preschool-level factors.Peer reviewe

Individual-, home- and preschool-level correlates of preschool children's sedentary time

Background Prechoolers' significant portions of sedentary time (ST) is a public-health concern due to its high prevalence and negative health consequences. However, few studies have explored correlates of preschoolers' ST covering individual-, home- and preschool- factors within one study. The aim of this study was to identify the associations between multiple individual-, home- and preschool-level factors and preschoolers' ST. In addition, it was studied how much individual-, home- and preschool-level factors explained the variance in children's ST. Methods A total of 864 children aged three to six, their parents and 66 preschools participated in the cross-sectional DAGIS study, which occurred between 2015 and 2016. The children wore an accelerometer for 1 week. Guardians, principals and early educators completed questionnaires covering the potential correlates of children's ST, for example, temperament, practices, self-efficacy and regulations. Multilevel regression analyses were conducted in multiple steps; calculation of marginal and conditional R-2 values occurred in the final phase. Results Of the 29 studied correlates, the following factors remained significant in the final models. Being a boy (p <0.001) and having high levels of surgency temperament (p <0.001) were associated with lower ST. Regarding the home setting, frequent co-visits in physical activity (PA) places (p = 0.014) were associated with lower ST. Higher parental perceived barriers related to children's outside PA (p = 0.032) was associated with higher ST. None of the preschool setting factors remained significant in the final model. Approximately 11% of the variance in children's ST was attributed to factors related to the individual level whereas 5% was attributed to home-level factors; and 2% to preschool-level factors. Conclusions This study identified a set of correlates of preschool children's ST. Interventions aimed at reducing children's ST should develop strategies targeting established correlates of preschoolers' ST covering individual-, home- and preschool-level factors. The preschool-level factors included in this study explained little the variance in children's ST. However, the included measures may not have captured the essential preschool-level factors that specifically influence children's ST. Therefore, more studies are needed regarding potential preschool-level factors.Peer reviewe

Sukupuolen ja äidin koulutustaustan yhteydet 3–6-vuotiaiden lasten objektiivisesti mitattuun liikkumiseen

Varhaislapsuuden fyysisellä aktiivisuudella eli liikkumisella on lukuisia hyötyjä terveydelle ja hyvinvoinnille. Silti tutkimustiedon mukaan suurin osa päiväkoti-ikäisistä lapsista ei liiku tarpeeksi. Tarvitaankin lisää tietoa vähäisempään liikkumiseen yhteydessä olevista tekijöistä eri konteksteissa (esimerkiksi päiväkoti, viikonloppu). Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli tutkia 3–6-vuotiaiden lasten sukupuolen ja äidin koulutustaustan yhteyttä lasten objektiivisesti mitattuun liikkumiseen päiväkotiaikana, arkena ja viikonloppuna. Tutkimus on osa DAGIS-hanketta, ja pohjautuu vuosina 2015 ja 2016 kerättyyn poikkileikkausaineistoon (n=864). Aineisto kerättiin yhteensä 66 päiväkodista kahdeksassa kunnassa. Lapset pitivät liikemittaria viikon ajan. Äidin koulutustausta luokiteltiin kolmiluokkaiseksi. Liikemittaridatasta erotettiin paikallaanolo, kevyt liikkuminen ja reipas tai rasittava liikkuminen päiväkotiaikana, kotiaika päiväkotipäivinä (myöhemmin arki) ja viikonloppuna. Yhteyksiä tutkittiin kovarianssianalyyseillä vakioituna kunnalla, vuodenajalla, lapsen sukupuolella ja iällä. Äidin koulutustaustan yhteyksiä liikkumiseen tutkittaessa huomioitiin mahdollinen lapsen sukupuolen interaktio. Pojilla oli tyttöjä enemmän vähintään reipasta liikkumista päiväkodissa, arkena ja viikonloppuna. Tytöillä oli enemmän paikallaanoloa päiväkotiaikana. Äidin korkeampi koulutus oli yhteydessä runsaampaan poikien reippaaseen tai rasittavaan liikkumiseen arkena, mutta vähäisempään tyttöjen reippaaseen tai rasittavaan liikkumiseen arkena ja viikonloppuna. Johtopäätöksenä voidaan todeta, että tytöillä oli vähemmän reippaasta rasittavaan liikkumista kuin pojilla kaikissa tutkituissa konteksteissa. Äidin koulutustaustan ja reippaasta rasittavaan liikkumisen väliset yhteydet olivat erilaiset tytöillä kuin pojilla, ja niitä esiintyi vain kotiaikana. Tarvitaan lisää tutkimusta liikkumiseen yhteydessä olevista tekijöistä, erikseen tytöillä ja pojilla.Peer reviewe