J Phys Act Health. 2019 Nov 1;16(11):1000-1006. doi: 10.1123/jpah.2019-0066. Epub 2019 Sep 1.
This study examined the associations between environmental characteristics of early childhood education and care (ECEC) centers and 1-year change in toddlers' physical activity and sedentary behavior while at the centers.
Data from 292 toddlers from the GET-UP! study were analyzed. Environmental characteristics of ECEC centers were rated using the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale-revised edition at baseline. Children's physical activity and sedentary behavior in the centers were assessed using activPAL devices, at baseline and at 1-year follow-up. Linear mixed models were performed to examine the associations between the environmental characteristics and change in the proportion of time spent in physical activity and sedentary behavior.
Compared with baseline, children spent a higher proportion of time in sedentary behavior (sitting) but a lower proportion of time in standing and physical activity (stepping) while at ECEC centers, at 1-year follow-up. The environmental characteristics "interaction" (B = -1.39; P = .01) and "program structure" (B = -1.15; P = .04) were negatively associated with change in the proportion of time spent in physical activity.
Better "interaction" and "program structure" may preclude children's physical activity from declining over time and may be considered important features to target in future interventions in ECEC centers aiming at promoting active lifestyles.
本研究考察了幼儿教育和保育（ECEC）中心的环境特征与幼儿在中心时的身体活动和久坐行为的 1 年变化之间的关联。
对 GET-UP!研究中的 292 名幼儿的数据进行了分析。使用婴儿/幼儿环境评级量表修订版在基线时对 ECEC 中心的环境特征进行了评分。使用 activPAL 设备在基线和 1 年随访时评估了儿童在中心的身体活动和久坐行为。使用线性混合模型来检验环境特征与身体活动和久坐行为时间比例变化之间的关联。
与基线相比，儿童在 ECEC 中心的久坐行为（坐着）时间比例较高，但站立和身体活动（行走）时间比例较低，在 1 年随访时。环境特征“互动”（B = -1.39；P =.01）和“课程结构”（B = -1.15；P =.04）与身体活动时间比例的变化呈负相关。
更好的“互动”和“课程结构”可能会阻止儿童的身体活动随时间减少，因此在未来 ECEC 中心旨在促进积极生活方式的干预措施中，这些可能被视为重要的目标特征。
