Effectiveness of a Parent-Focused Intervention Targeting 24-H Movement Behaviors in Preschool-Aged Children: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

BackgroundInterventions targeting single behaviors of preschool-aged children have been mainstream for some time, but integrated interventions targeting all three 24-h movement behaviors (physical activity [PA], sedentary behavior [SB], and sleep hygiene) are less studied. The aims of this study will be to test the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a parent-focused intervention for preschool-aged children targeting multiple 24-h movement behaviors.MethodsThis three-arm randomized controlled trial will comprise a 12-week intervention and a 12-week follow-up. A total of 150 parent-child dyads will be recruited and randomly allocated to one of three arms: (1) a PA + SB group (dyadic approach), (2) a PA + SB + sleep group (integrated approach), and (3) a wait-list control group. The theory of planned behavior and behavioral change techniques will guide the development of the intervention via workshops, education materials, interactive questionnaires, and reminders. The intervention strategies for the integrated group will be the same as for the dyadic approach except that the intervention will also target sleep hygiene in addition to PA and SB. The primary outcomes will be preschoolers' 24-h movement behaviors (e.g., activity sleep index, compositional data of PA, SB, screen time, and sleep duration). The secondary outcomes will be preschoolers' sleep quality, weight status, cognitive function, and parents' movement behaviors. The feasibility and acceptability of the intervention will also be evaluated.DiscussionThe proposed study will be a theory-based, parent-focused intervention designed to improve all three 24-h movement behaviors among preschoolers. The trial is expected to improve preschoolers' movement behaviors and health outcomes, as well as their parents' movement behaviors. Given the urgent need to promote active lifestyles, our findings will help to determine best practices for movement behavior change among young children.Trial RegistrationThe study is prospectively registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200055958).

Isotemporal substitution effect of 24-hour movement behavior on the mental health of Chinese preschool children

“…Although numerous studies have investigated the relationships between time-use behavior and physical and mental health across different age groups, there is a limited number of research that have employed the compositional isotemporal substitution method to explore the link between 24-h movement behavior and health in preschool children (31)(32)(33). Additionally, studies like Feng et al have primarily focused on the effectiveness of parent-centered interventions in modifying Chinese preschoolers' movement behaviors (34), but they do not delve into the direct impact of these behavior modifications on the children's mental health. Moreover, only one study has specifically focused on the mental health outcomes of substituting one type of movement behavior with another in Chinese preschoolers (35).…”