Buehler Center for Health Policy and Economics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 750 N Lakeshore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Aug 21;24(1):2264. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-19829-4.
Lower physical activity (PA) has been observed in females compared to males among preschool-aged and older children. However, the timing of when the sex gap emerges is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether females have lower PA levels than males in the early toddler age and to explore whether gross motor competency and PA parenting practices might explain a sex difference in PA.
The study design was cross-sectional. Participants were a community-based sample of 137 children aged 10-16 months residing in US Midwest urban/suburban area. Participants' mothers completed a survey that contained a demographic questionnaire, the Ages and Stages Questionnaire gross motor competency subscale, and a PA parenting practices questionnaire. Participating children wore an ActiGraph accelerometer on their hip for 7 days. Accelerometer-measured time spent in moderate- and vigorous intensity PA (MVPA; minutes/day) and in total PA (minutes/day) were calculated. Multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted to predict MVPA and total PA by sex, gross motor competency, PA parenting practices, and socioeconomic status.
Among 137 participants (54.0% female), average age was 13.6 months (SD = 1.7). MVPA was 72 ± 25 and 79 ± 26 min/day for females and males, respectively (p = 0.14). Total PA was 221 ± 48 and 238 ± 47 min/day for females and males, respectively (p = 0.04). Both gross motor competency and PA-encouraging parenting practices were positively associated MVPA (p = 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively) and total PA (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01, respectively); however, these relationships did not differ by sex (p = 0.11 and p = 0.89, respectively). After accounting for gross motor competency and PA parenting practices, total PA was 15 min/day lower among females than males (p = 0.04).
This cross-sectional study of US children observed a sex gap in total PA at 10-16 months of age. Gross motor development and PA parenting practices did not differ by child sex nor explain the sex difference in PA. A longitudinal investigation should follow to further narrow down when sex differences in PA emerge and to determine the factors that lead to this difference.
与学龄前和大龄儿童相比，女性的体力活动（PA）水平较低。然而，目前尚不清楚性别差距出现的时间。本研究旨在探讨 10-16 个月大的幼儿中女性的 PA 水平是否低于男性，并探讨粗大运动能力和 PA 养育实践是否可以解释 PA 中的性别差异。
本研究设计为横断面研究。参与者是来自美国中西部城市/郊区的 137 名 10-16 个月大的儿童。参与者的母亲完成了一份调查问卷，其中包括人口统计问卷、年龄和阶段问卷的粗大运动能力分量表以及 PA 养育实践问卷。参与的儿童在臀部佩戴 ActiGraph 加速度计 7 天。计算加速度计测量的中高强度体力活动（MVPA；分钟/天）和总体力活动（分钟/天）时间。采用多元线性回归分析预测 MVPA 和总 PA 与性别、粗大运动能力、PA 养育实践和社会经济地位的关系。
在 137 名参与者中（54.0%为女性），平均年龄为 13.6 个月（SD=1.7）。女性和男性的 MVPA 分别为 72±25 和 79±26 分钟/天（p=0.14）。女性和男性的总 PA 分别为 221±48 和 238±47 分钟/天（p=0.04）。粗大运动能力和鼓励 PA 的养育实践均与 MVPA（p=0.01 和 p=0.02）和总 PA（p=0.02 和 p=0.01）呈正相关；然而，这些关系在性别上没有差异（p=0.11 和 p=0.89）。在考虑了粗大运动能力和 PA 养育实践后，女性的总 PA 比男性低 15 分钟/天（p=0.04）。
本研究对美国儿童的横断面研究观察到 10-16 个月大儿童总 PA 存在性别差距。粗大运动发育和 PA 养育实践在儿童性别上没有差异，也不能解释 PA 中的性别差异。应进行纵向研究以进一步缩小 PA 性别差异出现的时间，并确定导致这种差异的因素。
