The relationship between educators' and children's physical activity and sedentary behaviour in early childhood education and care

Systematic review of educator behaviours associated with physical activity of early years children

BACKGROUND

Educators in early years settings influence children's physical activity (PA) levels through their pedagogical choices and behaviours. To date, minimal research has been conducted on the relationship between educator action and children's PA levels. The purpose of this systematic review was to understand which educator behaviours and actions in early years settings have been shown to engage children in PA.

METHODS

Five online databases (Academic Search Complete, ERIC, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL Complete and PubMed) were searched for articles that showed an association between educator behaviour and the PA level of children between the ages of zero and eight.

RESULTS

Eleven studies met all inclusion criteria, yet showed great variability in design and data collection methods. The risk of bias was assessed using previously published criteria adapted to this study and inline with the CONSORT statement. A binomial test on the data revealed a statistically significant deviation from chance expectation (p < .001) in relation to educator action influencing child PA. Ten of the studies focussed on educator PA, four studies highlighted the use of prompting and encouragement, three studies analysed broad statements of adult interaction, two studies called for planning activity sessions and discussions and two studies encouraged role modelling. The low number of studies included in the review and the high risk of bias indicates that caution with these results is needed.

CONCLUSIONS

While this review highlights the importance of educator PA (and other behaviours that had a positive association) on child PA level, it underscores the need for high-quality research to examine the relationship between educator actions and child PA. (PROSPERO registration: CRD42022338819).

An updated systematic review of correlates of children's physical activity and sedentary time in early childhood education services

BACKGROUND

Early childhood education services (ECE) continue to be a key setting to promote physical activity and limit sedentary behaviour. Thus, the aim of this study was to (1) provide an updated systematic review of correlates of physical activity and sedentary behaviour among children in ECE settings and (2) discuss changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviour correlates among children in ECEC settings over time.

METHODS

A systematic search of eight databases identified 40 studies published between 2015 and 2023 that met the inclusion criteria. The variables were categorized into four domains (child, educator, physical environmental and organizational). Fifty-eight variables were identified.

RESULTS

For data from 2015 to 2023, strong associations were identified in all domains (child, educator, physical environmental and organizational) for physical activity, yet no strong associations for sedentary behaviour were identified. Aggregated data (i.e., combining data from previous review and this review) showed strong associations with children's physical activity and age, motor coordination and sex (child), educator behaviour and presence (educator), presence and size of outdoor environments (physical environmental) and active opportunities and service quality (organizational). For sedentary behaviour, sex, outdoor environments and active opportunities were strongly associated in the combined data.

CONCLUSION

The correlates of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in ECE settings continue to be multi-dimensional and span different domains. Variables such as educator behaviours and intentionality, provision of active opportunities, use of outdoor space and service quality should be the key focus area for improving physical activity and sedentary behaviour levels of young children.

Associations between educators' and children's physical activity and sedentary time in Norwegian preschools: A cross-sectional study

Preschool educators may be important role models influencing children's physical activity (PA) behaviours. The main aim of this paper was to examine the relationship between educators' and children's PA and sedentary time (SED) by including 1230 children (mean age 4.8 yrs, 48% girls) and 422 educators (mean age 42.4 yrs, 90% women) from 68 preschools in Western Norway. PA and SED were measured over 10 preschool days using hip worn ActiGraph GT3×+ accelerometers. Associations between child and educator PA and SED during preschool hours, determined by multivariate pattern analyses, provided explained variances (R²) = 2.8-5.2%. Levels of educator moderate PA were positively related to child PA (all intensities) and educator vigorous PA were positively related to child vigorous PA, while educator light PA was negatively associated with PA and positively associated with child SED. Educator SED were positively associated with child vigorous PA and negatively associated to child SED. Association patterns were similar for boys and girls, while educator moderate and vigorous PA were more strongly related to the younger vs. the older children's PA. The positive relationships between educators' moderate and vigorous PA and children's PA found herein suggest educators' PA behaviours should be addressed in future interventions.

An Exploration of Child-Staff Interactions That Promote Physical Activity in Pre-School

A previous study identified a significant association between the average physical activity levels of pre-school staff and children during pre-school hours but did not determine if this association was initiated by pre-school staff or children. The present study aimed to explore the interactions between children and staff to better understand the conditions of such a relationship. Observations using the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO) protocol were carried out in three pre-schools, and a focus-group interview and semiformal interviews were conducted with five pre-school staff in one of the three pre-schools to examine the research question. Both the observations and the interview data revealed that physical activity by pre-school staff initiated physical activity among the children. The findings pointing to the importance of pre-school staff as organizers of the physical activity of children and the willingness of staff to join a physical activity initiated by the children also appear to be important. The findings also indicate that most of the physical activity took place outdoors. The study highlights the importance of pre-school staff as major contributors to the physical activity of pre-school children.