Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kio University, Nara, Japan.
Department of Rehabilitation, Kiwa Hospital, Wakayama, Japan.
PLoS One. 2024 Oct 29;19(10):e0304848. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304848. eCollection 2024.
Maintaining physical activity and the development of physical and cognitive functions are essential especially in vulnerable populations such as children. Considering the substantial impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on preschool children and the lack of research focusing on this age group, this study examined the duration of physical activity among preschool-aged children on weekend days and its relationship with the environment. This study was conducted between October and November 2021, with the cooperation of 357 parents of preschoolers attending kindergartens, nurseries, and childcare centers. Physical activity was assessed using a 24h physical activity record. A questionnaire was used to collect basic data on the neighborhood environment. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between the five physical activity measures (sedentary time, screen time, indoor playing time, outdoor playing time, and going out time) and the questionnaire data. Our findings revealed a relationship between physical activity and the neighborhood environment; however, the R2 values were low. Despite low prediction accuracy, the results of this study were similar to those of previous studies, indicating a positive correlation of physical activity with the absence of undulating roads, a crime-free environment, and safety around the home. Overall, these findings emphasize the need for providing children with opportunities for outdoor physical activity and play in the context of the COVID-19 recovery phase for adherence to the relevant guidelines.
保持身体活动和发展身体及认知功能至关重要，尤其是在儿童等弱势群体中。考虑到 COVID-19 疫情对学龄前儿童的巨大影响，以及缺乏针对该年龄组的研究，本研究调查了周末学龄前儿童身体活动的持续时间及其与环境的关系。本研究于 2021 年 10 月至 11 月进行，合作对象为 357 名就读于幼儿园、托儿所和日托中心的学龄前儿童的家长。使用 24 小时身体活动记录评估身体活动。使用问卷收集邻里环境的基本数据。采用逐步多元回归分析，分析五种身体活动测量指标（久坐时间、屏幕时间、室内玩耍时间、室外玩耍时间和外出时间）与问卷数据之间的关系。我们的研究结果表明身体活动与邻里环境之间存在关系；然而，R2 值较低。尽管预测准确性较低，但本研究结果与之前的研究相似，表明身体活动与无起伏道路、无犯罪环境以及家庭周围的安全环境呈正相关。总的来说，这些发现强调了在 COVID-19 复苏阶段，需要为儿童提供户外身体活动和玩耍的机会，以遵守相关指南。
