Abstract

Background: It is important to understand the correlates of physical activity (PA) to influence policy and create environments that promote PA among preschool children. We compared preschoolers' PA in Swedish and in US settings and objectively examined differences boys' and girls' indoor and outdoor PA regarding different intensity levels and sedentary behavior. Methods: Accelerometer determined PA in 50 children with mean age 52 months, (range 40-67) was recorded during preschool time for 5 consecutive weekdays at 4 sites. The children wore an Actigraph GTIM Monitor. Results: Raleigh preschool children, opposite to Malmo preschoolers spent significantly more time indoors than outdoors (P < .001). Significantly more moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) was observed outdoors (P < .001) in both settings. Malmo children accumulated significantly more counts/min indoors (P < .001). The percent of MVPA during outdoor time did not differ between children at Raleigh and Malmo. Conclusion: Physical activity counts/minutes was significantly higher outdoors vs. indoors in both Malmo and Raleigh. Malmo preschoolers spent 47% of attendance time outdoors compared with 18% for Raleigh preschoolers which could have influenced the difference in preschool activity between the 2 countries. Time spent in MVPA at preschool was very limited and predominantly adopted outdoors.

Keywords

accelerometry; country comparison; physical activity level; preschool children

Published in

Journal of Physical Activity and Health
2012, Volume: 9, number: 6, pages: 801-808
Publisher: HUMAN KINETICS PUBL INC

SLU Authors

• Mårtensson, Fredrika

  • Department of People and Society, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.9.6.801

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/60079