In U.S. children of ages 2-5 years, combined overweight and obesity has increased to 21%, with African American children of this age range highest at 26%. Lack of physical activity is highly predictive of overweight and obesity in children. Preschools may be a useful point for intervention. An innovative preschool physical activity treatment (Start For Life) was developed based on principles of social cognitive and self-efficacy theory. It incorporated 30 minutes daily of highly structured physical activity with behavioral and self-regulatory skills training (e.g. goal setting, self-monitoring, productive self-talk) interspersed. Data obtained from accelerometry was used to contrast physical activity outputs during the preschool day in the Start For Life condition (n = 202) with a usual-care control condition (n = 136). After controlling for age and sex of the primarily African American participants (M age = 4.7 years), changes over eight weeks in moderate-to-vigorous and vigorous physical activity were significant, and significantly more favorable in the Start For Life group; F(1, 344) = 4.98, p = .026 and F(1, 344) = 3.60, p = .058, respectively. Start For Life was associated with a weekly increase in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity of approximately 40 minutes. After sufficient replications that better account for different sample types, parental effects and physical activity outside of the school day, and long-term effects, widespread dissemination may be considered.

No abstract

Although results were positive in contrast to usual care and other related interventions, the specific sample requires that the Start For Life treatment undergo sufficient replication to increase confidence in generalizability of the findings to others. Although reduction in sedentary time may require a different strategy, the practical application of the present treatment suggests possibilities for addressing overweight through increasing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in preschool settings.

The Start For Life treatment was associated with increased MVPA by approximately 1 h per week, with most of that change being in VPA. After sufficient replication, adjustments may be made to maximise treatment effects.

Youth inactivity and inappropriately high weight is a problem in the United States, Canada, and much of the industrialized world. Physiological and behavioral changes associated with the Youth Fit For Life protocol, a physical activity and nutrition education treatment based on self-efficacy theory, were assessed in 7- to 12-yr.-olds (N - 43) from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Body Mass Index, strength, and cardiorespiratory endurance significantly improved over a 12-wk. period when contrasted with changes based on normative data. Significant within-group improvements in measures of self-efficacy, vegetable intake, and voluntary moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were also found over 12 wk. Multiple regression analysis indicated that score changes in measures of self-regulatory and task self-efficacy, and general self, accounted for changes in voluntary physical activity. Implications for use of behaviorally based methods for large-scale obesity prevention treatments in preadolescents were discussed.