Physical environmental opportunities for active play and physical activity level in preschoolers: a multicriteria analysis

Abstract

Background Active play opportunities seems to influence the level of physical activity during childhood. However, a gap remains about which environmental opportunities including the daycare physical environment could have a positive impact on the level of physical activity in preschoolers. Objectives (1) To develop an index to measure the environmental opportunities of free active play for preschoolers of middle-income countries; (2) to check the relationship and contribution of the index to explain objectively the level of physical activity. Methods A quantitative, cross-sectional, exploratory study with 51 preschool children. The established criteria for the index according to the literature were: (1) Outdoor time on typical days of the week. (2) Outdoor time on a typical weekend day. (3) The presence of internal space and external environment in the child’s home that allows playing. (4) Presence of patio with space for games at the school. (5) Presence of a playground with a toy at the school. We applied multi-attribute utility theory for the determination of the multicriteria index of physical environmental opportunities. Pearson’s correlation analysis and simple linear regression were used to verify the association between the index and the physical activity level. Results The index showed a positive correlation with the level of physical activity, e.g., the average time of MVPA (r = 0.408, p = 0.003). The univariate linear regression demonstrated that the quality of physical environmental opportunities for physical activity explained 20% of the preschooler’s classification as active and 16% of the time in moderate to vigorous physical activity (p < 0.001). Conclusion Physical environmental opportunities for active play have a positive effect on physical activity in preschoolers and should be encouraged in different social segments.

Factors Associated with Motor Competence in Preschoolers from a Brazilian Urban Area

“…This environment may positively or negatively influence children’s physical activity levels and health (Herr et al, 2021 ; Hodges et al, 2013 ; Cosco et al, 2010 ; Timmons et al, 2012 ). The examined schools had an average quality score of 2.6 ± 0.16 points, which corresponds to a space considered inadequate, corroborating other Brazilian studies (NOBRE et al, 2022 ). However, it is noteworthy that small improvements in school quality appear to benefit the development of children (Morais et al, 2021 ).“ For example, Trost et al, 2010 , argue that the larger the space of schools, the greater the possibility of children’s physical activity engagement; consequently, they have more probability of developing MC.…”

Association Between Physical Activity Indicators and Human Development Index at a National Level: Information From Global Matrix 4.0 Physical Activity Report Cards for Children and Adolescents

“…In general, elementary schools in very high and high HDI countries/localities have structures and opportunities for organized sports and PA, which are not observed for children in low-income countries. 14 We found that children and adolescents living in urban areas of the countries/localities with low/medium HDI achieved better grades than those living in urban areas of the countries/localities with very high and high HDI for the Active transportation indicator. However, when analyzing only children and adolescents living in rural areas, the results were the opposite, in which those from very high HDI countries had higher grades than those from lower HDI countries for the Organized sport and PA and Active play indicators.…”

Comparison of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior among Brazilian Preschool Children during the COVID-19 Physical Distancing Period

“…The free time available to children is largely allocated to SBs, and PA diminishes with age [3,34]. Following this logic, the preschoolers analyzed during the COVID-19 period remained within this same scenario, with certain additional particularities, characterized by a positive impact on PA when parents were more available or subjected to less stress when dealing with their children, a greater number of children in the area, and freedom to play outside the home [3,21,27,31,35].…”

“…Although the excessive employment of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) by children has been a prevailing issue [26], the imposition of lockdown measures has accentuated its impact on both children and adults, given the widespread use of computers and near-universal access to the internet. The ramifications of this excessive screen usage have necessitated the proposal of preventive programs and the development of tools to identify addiction and other behavioral issues [27]. To ameliorate this situation, it has been established that a balanced amalgamation of lifestyle behaviors during childhood, encompassing reduced ST, the adoption of healthy dietary patterns, and regular PA, is necessary [28].…”