Physical Activity and the Home Environment of Pre-School-Aged Children in Urban Bangladesh

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) is a key determinant of health and development, yet few studies have examined PA levels and risk factors for low PA among young children in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to describe the PA and sedentary (SED) behavior levels of preschool-aged children in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and to estimate the associations between potential risk factors in the home built environment and moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA). In a sample of preschool-aged children (n = 65) in Dhaka, PA and SED behavior were measured for 7 days using ActiGraph GT3X-BT accelerometers. Characteristics of the home built environment, socioeconomic factors, and anthropometry were also measured. Linear mixed-effects models were used to estimate multivariable-adjusted associations between characteristics of the home environment and MVPA. Preschool-aged children spent a mean (±standard deviation) 421 ± 48 and 82 ± 23 min per day sedentary and in MVPA, respectively. There were no statistically significant associations between factors in the home built environment (indoor area, presence of an open stairwell, and presence of gross motor activity facilitating items) and MVPA. These findings suggest that the studied characteristics of the home built environment may not significantly influence the MVPA observed among preschool-aged children in Dhaka. Future research should focus on other structural and behavioral factors that facilitate PA among young children in dense urban settings.

Asia–Pacific consensus statement on integrated 24-hour activity guidelines for the early years

“… 17 , 19 Similarly, 89% of 2 to 5-year-olds in India and 3 to 4-year-olds in China reported more than 1 h of daily screen time. 20 , 21 The mean amount of sedentary behaviour in pre-schoolers in Bangladesh was found to be 7 h per day, 22 while the median for pre-schoolers in Singapore was 7.8 h per day. 23 …”