Efficacy and feasibility of lowering playground density to promote physical activity and to discourage sedentary time during recess at preschool: A pilot study

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• 作者：Eveline Van Cauwenberghe ; Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij ; Lea Maes ; Greet Cardon
• 关键词：Physical activity ; Sedentary time ; Health promotion ; Preschool children ; Accelerometry ; Unstructured play
• 刊名：Preventive Medicine
• 出版年：2012
• 出版时间：October, 2012
• 年：2012
• 卷：55
• 期：4
• 页码：319-321
• 全文大小：146 K

文摘

Objective

This pilot study examined if lowering playground density is feasible and effective in improving preschoolers' activity and sedentary levels during recess.

Method

Between November and December 2011, a within-subject design was used to study preschoolers' activity via accelerometry during recesses in the usual conditions (baseline) and with lower playground density (intervention). During the intervention, preschools scheduled extra recesses so that the number of classes usually sharing the playground was halved. Effects were investigated, using two-level linear regression models, in 128 4- to 6-year-old children (69 boys) from 4 preschools in Ghent, Belgium. The four preschool principals filled in a questionnaire after the intervention.

Results

At baseline, available play space was on average 7.4 (SD = 1.7) m²/child; during the intervention this increased to 16.7 (SD = 5.1) m²/child. The intervention was effective in decreasing sedentary time (? 1 min; ? 5.1 % ) and increasing light-to-vigorous (+ 1 min; + 5.1 % ) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (+ 0.8 min; + 4.8 % ) during recess. None found it difficult to implement the intervention. All agreed it was possible to use this strategy in the future.

Conclusions

Although it was feasible to implement this intervention, improvements in preschoolers' activity levels were small. This intervention could especially be important for preschools with higher playground density.