Abt Associates, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Logan Program Evaluation, Arlington, Massachusetts.
Pediatrics. 2022 Jun 1;149(6). doi: 10.1542/peds.2020-048850.
Physical activity provides health and developmental benefits to young children. The Study of Nutrition and Activity in Child Care Settings describes physical activity opportunities and sedentary occasions for children aged 1 to 5 years at programs participating in the US Department of Agriculture Child and Adult Care Food Program.
The Study of Nutrition and Activity in Child Care Settings obtained a nationally representative sample of classrooms within Child and Adult Care Food Program-participating Head Start and child care centers via multistage cluster sampling. For 1 observation day, an observer in each classroom tallied designated outdoor and indoor playspaces; minutes children spent in playspaces; barriers and facilitators to physical activity; and classroom time when most children were physically active (eg, walking, dancing), sedentary (seated, lying down), or neither. Weighted descriptive tabulations by program type compared outdoor physical activity opportunity counts and total physical activity opportunity durations to national guidelines. Multivariate regression analysis investigated association of barriers with physical activity opportunity duration.
The sample included 227 classrooms, 96 in child care centers and 131 in Head Start programs. All had sedentary occasions outside meals, snacks, and naps; virtually all offered opportunities for physical activity. Seventy-four percent of programs met national guidance on sufficient number of outdoor opportunities, weather permitting. Just 50% met guidance of ≥60 to 90 minutes of physical activity, whereas only 43% met both sets of guidance. Weather and staff not joining in outdoor play were associated with 74 and 31 fewer minutes devoted to physical activity, respectively.
Findings suggest ample room for improvement in provision of physical activity opportunities during child care.
身体活动为幼儿提供健康和发育益处。《儿童保健环境中的营养与活动研究》描述了参与美国农业部儿童和成人照顾食品计划的项目中 1 至 5 岁儿童的身体活动机会和久坐时间。
《儿童保健环境中的营养与活动研究》通过多阶段聚类抽样，从参与“开端计划”和儿童保育中心的儿童和成人照顾食品计划中获得了具有全国代表性的班级样本。在 1 个观察日，每个班级的观察者都会统计指定的户外和室内游戏空间；儿童在游戏空间中花费的时间；身体活动的障碍和促进因素；以及大多数儿童进行身体活动（例如，行走、跳舞）、久坐（坐着、躺着）或两者都不是的课堂时间。按计划类型加权描述性制表，将户外身体活动机会计数和总身体活动机会持续时间与国家指南进行比较。多元回归分析调查了障碍与身体活动机会持续时间的关联。
样本包括 227 个班级，其中 96 个在儿童保育中心，131 个在“开端计划”项目中。所有班级在餐点、零食和午睡之外都有久坐时间；几乎所有班级都提供了身体活动的机会。在天气允许的情况下，74%的项目符合足够户外活动机会的国家指导方针。只有 50%的项目符合≥60 至 90 分钟身体活动的指导方针，而只有 43%的项目同时符合这两套指导方针。天气和工作人员不参与户外游戏分别与身体活动时间减少 74 分钟和 31 分钟相关。
研究结果表明，在儿童保育中提供身体活动机会还有很大的改进空间。
