Cliff Dylan P, McNeill Jade, Vella Stewart, Howard Steven J, Kelly Megan A, Angus Douglas J, Wright Ian M, Santos Rute, Batterham Marijka, Melhuish Edward, Okely Anthony D, de Rosnay Marc
Early Start Research Institute, School of Education, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia.
Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.
BMC Pediatr. 2017 Apr 4;17(1):95. doi: 10.1186/s12887-017-0846-4.
Prevalence estimates internationally suggest that many preschool-aged children (3-5 years) are insufficiently physically active and engage in high levels of screen-based entertainment. Early childhood is the developmental period for which we know the least about the effects of physical activity on development and health. Likewise, rapid technological advancements in mobile electronic media have made screen-based forms of entertainment for young children ubiquitous, and research demonstrating the impacts on cognition, psychosocial well-being, and health has lagged behind the rate of adoption of these technologies. The purpose of the Preschool Activity, Technology, Health, Adiposity, Behaviour and Cognition (PATH-ABC) study is to investigate if physical activity and screen-based entertainment are independently associated with cognitive and psychosocial development, and health outcomes in young children, and if so, how much and which types of these behaviours might be most influential.
The PATH-ABC study is a prospective cohort, aiming to recruit 430 3-5 year-old children. Children are recruited through and complete initial assessments at their Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centre, and then 12-months later at their centre or school. Direct assessments are made of children's habitual physical activity using accelerometry, cognitive (executive function) and language development (expressive vocabulary), psychosocial development (emotional understanding, Theory of Mind, empathy, and heart rate variability), adiposity (body mass index and waist circumference), and cardiovascular health (blood pressure and retinal micro- vasculature). Educators report on children's psychological strengths and difficulties and self-regulation. Parents report on children's habitual use of electronic media and other child, parent and household characteristics.
The PATH-ABC study aims to provide evidence to enhance understanding of how much and which types of physical activity and screen-based media influence development and health in preschool-aged children. This information would benefit parents, educators, health professionals and governments seeking to develop strategies and policies to give young children the best start in life by promoting healthy levels of physical activity and electronic media use.
国际上的患病率估计表明，许多学龄前儿童（3至5岁）身体活动不足，且大量参与基于屏幕的娱乐活动。幼儿期是我们对身体活动对发育和健康影响了解最少的发育阶段。同样，移动电子媒体的快速技术进步使幼儿基于屏幕的娱乐形式无处不在，而证明其对认知、心理社会幸福感和健康影响的研究却落后于这些技术的采用速度。学龄前活动、技术、健康、肥胖、行为与认知（PATH-ABC）研究的目的是调查身体活动和基于屏幕的娱乐是否分别与幼儿的认知和心理社会发育以及健康结果相关，如果相关，这些行为的多少和类型中哪些可能最具影响力。
PATH-ABC研究是一项前瞻性队列研究，旨在招募430名3至5岁儿童。通过幼儿教育与保育（ECEC）中心招募儿童并在该中心完成初始评估，然后在12个月后在其中心或学校再次进行评估。使用加速度计直接评估儿童的习惯性身体活动、认知（执行功能）和语言发育（表达性词汇）、心理社会发育（情绪理解、心理理论、同理心和心率变异性）、肥胖（体重指数和腰围）以及心血管健康（血压和视网膜微血管）。教育工作者报告儿童的心理优势、困难和自我调节情况。家长报告儿童习惯性使用电子媒体的情况以及其他儿童、家长和家庭特征。
PATH-ABC研究旨在提供证据，以增进对身体活动和基于屏幕的媒体的多少及类型如何影响学龄前儿童发育和健康的理解。这些信息将使寻求制定战略和政策以通过促进健康水平的身体活动和电子媒体使用让幼儿拥有人生最佳开端的家长、教育工作者、健康专业人员和政府受益。
