Sex differences in human motor activity level.

Eaton, Warren O.; Enns, Lesley R.

doi:10.1037/0033-2909.100.1.19

“…In support of this contention, observational studies of preschool children have shown that boys engage in more vigorous-intensity activities, play in larger groups in more open settings, engage in more risk-taking behavior, and play rougher games involving greater amounts of body contact than girls. [26][27][28] While it is not possible to provide a definitive explanation for our gender-specific findings, the large gender gap in physical activity observed in this and other studies of preschool children, 29-31 strongly supports the recommendation that efforts to promote physical activity in girls start early in life. 32,33 Recent research has shown that familial patterns of overweight and obesity are mediated, in part, by parenting eating behaviors (parental energy intake, mother's dietary restraint, and disinhibition) and parental child-feeding practices (concern for child's weight, monitoring, and restriction of child's food intake).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 49%

Physical activity in overweight and nonoverweight preschool children

Trost

¹

,

Sirard

²

,

Dowda

³

et al. 2003

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OBJECTIVE: To compare the physical activity levels of overweight and non overweight 3-to 5-y-old children while attending preschool. A secondary aim was to evaluate weight-related differences in hypothesized parental determinants of child physical activity behavior. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: A total of 245, 3-to 5-y-olds (127 girls, 118 boys) and their parent(s) (242 mothers, 173 fathers) recruited from nine preschools. Overweight status determined using the age-and sex-specific 85th percentile for body mass index (BMI) from CDC Growth Charts. MEASUREMENTS: Physical activity during the preschool day was assessed on multiple days via two independent objective measuresFdirect observation using the observation system for recording activity in preschools (OSRAP) and real-time accelerometry using the MTI/CSA 7164 accelerometer. Parents completed a take-home survey assessing sociodemographic information, parental height and weight, modeling of physical activity, support for physical activity, active toys and sporting equipment at home, child's television watching, frequency of park visitation, and perceptions of child competence. RESULTS: Overweight boys were significantly less active than their nonoverweight peers during the preschool day. No significant differences were observed in girls. Despite a strong association between childhood overweight status and parental obesity, no significant differences were observed for the hypothesized parental influences on physical activity behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that a significant proportion of overweight children may be at increased risk for further gains in adiposity because of low levels of physical activity during the preschool day.

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“…In support of this contention, observational studies of preschool children have shown that boys engage in more vigorous-intensity activities, play in larger groups in more open settings, engage in more risk-taking behavior, and play rougher games involving greater amounts of body contact than girls. [26][27][28] While it is not possible to provide a definitive explanation for our gender-specific findings, the large gender gap in physical activity observed in this and other studies of preschool children, [29][30][31] strongly supports the recommendation that efforts to promote physical activity in girls start early in life. 32,33 Recent research has shown that familial patterns of overweight and obesity are mediated, in part, by parenting eating behaviors (parental energy intake, mother's dietary restraint, and disinhibition) and parental child-feeding practices (concern for child's weight, monitoring, and restriction of child's food intake).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Physical Activity in Overweight and Non-Overweight Pre-School Children

Trost

¹

,

Sirard

²

,

Dowda

³

et al. 2002

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

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OBJECTIVE: To compare the physical activity levels of overweight and non overweight 3-to 5-y-old children while attending preschool. A secondary aim was to evaluate weight-related differences in hypothesized parental determinants of child physical activity behavior. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: A total of 245, 3-to 5-y-olds (127 girls, 118 boys) and their parent(s) (242 mothers, 173 fathers) recruited from nine preschools. Overweight status determined using the age-and sex-specific 85th percentile for body mass index (BMI) from CDC Growth Charts. MEASUREMENTS: Physical activity during the preschool day was assessed on multiple days via two independent objective measuresFdirect observation using the observation system for recording activity in preschools (OSRAP) and real-time accelerometry using the MTI/CSA 7164 accelerometer. Parents completed a take-home survey assessing sociodemographic information, parental height and weight, modeling of physical activity, support for physical activity, active toys and sporting equipment at home, child's television watching, frequency of park visitation, and perceptions of child competence. RESULTS: Overweight boys were significantly less active than their nonoverweight peers during the preschool day. No significant differences were observed in girls. Despite a strong association between childhood overweight status and parental obesity, no significant differences were observed for the hypothesized parental influences on physical activity behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that a significant proportion of overweight children may be at increased risk for further gains in adiposity because of low levels of physical activity during the preschool day.

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“…Differences in approach-withdrawal behavior, suggesting elevated fear, shyness, and withdrawal in females, and greater high-intensity pleasure seeking in males, have also been documented during infancy and early toddlerhood (Carey & McDevitt, 1978;Gartstein & Rothbart, 2003;Martin, Wisenbaker, Baker, & Huttunen, 1997; Maziade, Broudreault, Thivierge, Caperaa, & Cote, 1984;Reznick, Gibbons, Johnson, & McDonough, 1989). These sex differences persist throughout childhood (Eaton & Enns, 1986;Cote, Tremblay, Nagin, Zoccolillo, & Vitaro, 2002). Other sex differences have been observed at older ages.…”

Section: Gender Differences In Temperamentmentioning

confidence: 62%

Measurement of fine-grained aspects of toddler temperament: The Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire

Putnam

¹

,

Gartstein

²

,

Rothbart

³

2006

Infant Behavior and Development

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This article describes the development, reliability, and factor structure of a finely differentiated (18 dimensions) parent-report measure of temperament in 1.5 to 3-year-old children, using a crosssectional sample (N = 317) and a longitudinal sample of primary (N = 104) and secondary (N = 61) caregivers. Adequate internal consistency was demonstrated for all scales and moderate interrater reliability was evident for most scales. Longitudinal stability correlations were primarily large over 6-and 12-month spans and moderate to large from 18 to 36 months. Factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure of Surgency/Extraversion, Negative Affectivity, and Effortful Control. In both samples and for both primary and secondary caregivers, older children received higher scores for Attention Focusing, Discomfort, Inhibitory Control, and Positive Anticipation. Primary caregivers rated females higher in Fear, and lower in High-intensity Pleasure, than males; secondary caregivers rated females higher than males in several aspects of Effortful Control.Increases in the number of empirical studies of temperament in recent years (Rothbart & Bates, 1998, in press) have been matched by an expanded and more finely defined list of dimensions considered within the temperament realm. Although fine-grained instruments have been developed to assess temperament in infants (Gartstein & Rothbart, 2003) and older children (Rothbart, Ahadi, Hershey, & Fisher, 2001), an analogous instrument appropriate for use with children between the ages of 1 and 3 has not been made available. The current study describes the psychometric characteristics, factor structure, and demographic correlates of an instrument designed to fill this gap: the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ).The ECBQ was originally designed to supplement the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire (TBAQ; Goldsmith, 1996), a widely-used parent-report temperament questionnaire for young children. The TBAQ includes 108 items that address five aspects of temperament: Activity Level, Pleasure, Social Fearfulness, Anger Proneness, and Interest/ Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Sam Putnam, Department of Psychology, Bowdoin College, 6900 College Station, Brunswick, ME 04011. Persistence. Goldsmith (1996) documented internal consistency and interrater reliability of the instrument, as well as convergence with other temperament measures. Subsequent studies (e.g., Eiden, Edwards, & Leonard, 2004;Kochanska & Knaack, 2003;Lemery, Goldsmith, Klinnert, & Mrazek, 1999) have provided support for the construct validity of the instrument. The value of this measure is further indicated by successful translations to Japanese (Kusanagi, Chen, & Hoshi, 2000), Spanish (Salinas, Montesinos, & Carnicero, 1999), and Dutch (Van Bakel & Riksen-Walraven, 2004).Several aspects of temperament assessed by the new instrument, but not the TBAQ, reflect differences between our theoretical approach and the approach that guided the creation of the TBAQ. Whereas Gold...

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Sex differences in human motor activity level.

Cited by 376 publications

References 98 publications

Physical activity in overweight and nonoverweight preschool children

Physical activity in overweight and nonoverweight preschool children

Physical Activity in Overweight and Non-Overweight Pre-School Children

Measurement of fine-grained aspects of toddler temperament: The Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire

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