Preschool and school age activities: comparison of urban and suburban populations

Systematic review of the correlates of outdoor play and time among children aged 3-12 years

BACKGROUND

Due to the myriad of benefits of children's outdoor play and time, there is increasing concern over its decline. This systematic review synthesized evidence on the correlates of outdoor play and outdoor time among children aged 3-12 years.

METHODS

A total of 12 electronic databases in five different languages (Chinese, English, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese) were searched between October 28, 2019 and July 27, 2020. Covidence software was used for screening and Microsoft Excel with a predesigned coding form was used for data extraction. Evidence was synthesized and correlates were categorized using the socioecological model framework.

RESULTS

Based on 107 studies representing 188,498 participants and 422 childcare centers from 29 countries, 85 studies examined potential correlates of outdoor play while 23 studies examined that of outdoor time (one examined both). The duration of outdoor play and outdoor time ranged between 60 and 165 min/d and 42-240 min/d, respectively. Out of 287 (outdoor play) and 61 (outdoor time) potential correlates examined, 111 correlates for outdoor play and 33 correlates for outdoor time were identified as significant correlates. Thirty-three variables were identified as key/common correlates of outdoor play/time, including eight correlates at the individual level (e.g., sex/gender, race/ethnicity, physical activity), 10 correlates at the parental level (e.g., parental attitude/support/behavior, parenting practice), nine at the microsystem level (e.g., proximal home/social environment such as residence type, peer influence), three at the macrosystem/community level (e.g., availability of space children can play), and three at the physical ecology/pressure for macrosystem change level (e.g., seasonality, rurality). No key correlates were found at the institutional level.

CONCLUSIONS

Individual, parental, and proximal physical (home) and social environments appear to play a role in children's outdoor play and time. Ecological factors (i.e., seasonality, rurality) also appear to be related to outdoor play/time. Evidence was either inconsistent or lacking at institutional and macrosystem/community levels. Standardizing terminology and measures of outdoor play/time is warranted. Future work should investigate the interactions and processes of multiple variables across different levels of socioecological modelling to better understand the mechanisms through which outdoor play/time opportunities can be optimized for children while paying special attention to varying conditions in which children are born, live, and play.

Adherence to Canadian physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines among children 2 to 13 years of age

Active living is relevant for healthy child development and disease prevention. In 2011-2012 new Canadian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines were developed for children under four and 5-17 years of age. This cross-sectional study assessed children's adherence to the national guidelines, using a large sample of Alberta children ages 2-4 and 5-13 years in 2013. The proportions of children achieving the average daily duration of physical activity and screen time recommended were determined, and child and parental predictors of non-achievement were identified. Participants were 631 parent and child dyads. Data were collected by parental reports of physical activity and screen time during weekdays, and analysed using univariate and multivariate techniques (p < 0.05). Logistic regression models were used to examine factors associated with children's non-achievement of physical activity and screen time recommendations while adjusting for covariates. Sixty-two percent of children aged 2-4 and 26% of children aged 5-13 did not meet physical activity time recommendations, and 64% of children aged 2-4 and 23% of children aged 5-13 exceeded the maximum screen time recommendation. Several associations between parental age and education with non-achievement were observed but associations were not consistent across age groups or behaviours. Among preschoolers, those with middle-age parents were more likely to not achieve physical activity recommendations. Evidence of high non-achievement of the recommendations among children 2-4 years highlights the need for increased programming targeting preschool children. Further research is required to identify modifiable risk factors that may inform future health promotion efforts.

Participation Patterns of Urban Preschoolers Attending Head Start

Awareness of the impact of poverty on early childhood participation is crucial in providing adequate and effective services for young children and their families. Through a university—community partnership to support Head Start teachers to broaden their developmental evaluations, the Preschool Activity Card Sort (PACS) was administered to the parents of 81 preschoolers in a semi-structured interview format. Fifty-two (64%) of the children were served by a Head Start program and 29 (36%) were a convenience sample control group. Results from the PACS demonstrate that all of the preschoolers participate in a range of age-appropriate activities. Comparison between the Head Start and control groups revealed differences, with Bonferroni correction, in participation in community mobility ( p = .000). It is imperative to provide opportunities for early childhood participation because many community activities are implicitly tied to school readiness. To fully meet the needs of families in impoverished communities, occupational therapists need to seek out the voice of parents and focus on learning opportunities arising naturally in the context of daily living and community experiences.

Systematic review of correlates of screen-viewing among young children

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this review were to: (I) synthesise current research on the correlates of screen-viewing among young children (< or = 7 years old); and (II) identify gaps in the study of these correlates.

METHODS

71 English-language studies published between 1980 and February 2009 were extracted from computerized literature searches and bibliographies of primary studies.

RESULTS

Variables positively associated with screen-viewing were age, ethnicity, family TV viewing, family factors (maternal depressive symptoms and parental body mass) and media access. Variables negatively associated were socioeconomic indicators, parental rules and safety. Mother's age, mother's employment and presence of a TV set in a child's bedroom were found to be unclearly associated with screen-viewing behaviour. Gender, marital status, father's age and number of TVs were not associated with screen-viewing behaviour.

CONCLUSIONS

Few modifiable variables for future research implications were identified. Findings suggest that research on correlates of screen-viewing among young children is limited. However, there are some clear correlates on which future interventions could be tailored (age, ethnicity, some socioeconomic indicators, family TV viewing, some family factors, parental rules and safety). Subsequent research is needed both to further test some of the correlates and to review the correlates for strength of associations.

A Brief Review on Correlates of Physical Activity and Sedentariness in Youth

INTRODUCTION

Better understanding of the correlates of physical activity and sedentary behaviors in youth will support the development of effective interventions that promote a physically active lifestyle and prevent a sedentary lifestyle. The main goal of this systematic review is to summarize and update the existing literature on correlates of young people's physical activity, insufficient physical activity, and sedentary behavior.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted and included studies published between January 1999 and January 2005.

RESULTS

The 60 reviewed studies showed that for children (age range 4-12), gender (male), self-efficacy, parental physical activity (for boys), and parent support were positively associated with physical activity. For adolescents (age range 13-18), positive associations with physical activity were found for gender (male), parental education, attitude, self-efficacy, goal orientation/motivation, physical education/school sports, family influences, and friend support. For adolescents, a positive association was found between gender (male) and sedentary behavior, whereas an inverse association was found between gender and insufficient physical activity. Ethnicity (Caucasian), socioeconomic status, and parent education were found to be inversely associated with adolescents' sedentary behaviors. For children, the evidence was insufficient to draw conclusions about correlates of insufficient physical activity and sedentary behavior.

CONCLUSION

To gain more insight in the correlates of change in physical activity levels, more prospective studies are needed. Moreover, further research is needed examining the correlates of insufficient physical activity and sedentary behaviors, to develop effective interventions that may help children and adolescents diminish the time they spend on inactive behaviors.

CHILDREN'S BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS (BPs) IN KINDERGARTEN: IMPACT OF TIME OF DAY AND ACTIVITY TYPE

This study examined the extent to which time of day (morning, midmorning and noon) and type of activity affect children's behavioral problems (BPs) in a Kuwaiti kindergarten. The sample consisted of 98 children identified by their teachers as having behavioral problems, based on teachers' observation. Two instruments were used: Observational Daily Card (ODC) developed by the researcher and a List of Children's Problems at Kindergarten (LCPK) (Yaseen, Ahmad, & Hamadah, 2000). Results show that aggression tends to be the major problem followed by extensive movement and stubbornness. Crying and chattiness were found to cause the least problems. In addition, midmorning was found to be the time most affecting the children's behavioral problems. Results indicate that Kuwaiti boys showed significantly more aggressive behavior than did girls, while there were no significant differences between them in other behavioral problems.