Phillips Sophie M, Bourke Matthew, Burke Shauna M, Reid Graham J, Gilliland Jason, Tucker Patricia
Child Health and Physical Activity Laboratory, School of Occupational Therapy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Health and Wellbeing Centre for Research Innovation, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
BMJ Open. 2025 Aug 25;15(8):e101724. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-101724.
Mental health conditions are a major public health challenge. Though typically diagnosed in adolescence, these conditions may arise during early childhood. Considerable evidence shows that engagement in healthy movement behaviours (ie, regular physical activity, reduced sedentary behaviour and sufficient sleep) is associated with a lower risk of mental health conditions in adolescents and adults. However, whether these behaviours have the same protective effect during early childhood is less clear. The MOvement behaviours and irritaBILITY in early childhood (MOBILITY) study was established to investigate the association between 24-hour movement behaviours and trajectories of early childhood mental health.
MOBILITY is a prospective observational cohort study of toddlers' and preschoolers' (aged 2-4 years) movement behaviours and mental health, which will be assessed at three data collection points (baseline and 6- and 12-month follow-ups). Mental health indicators (ie, irritability, internalising, externalising and prosocial behaviour) will be assessed via parent-report questionnaires, and movement behaviours will be assessed via ActiGraph accelerometers and sleep diaries. Primary analyses will include using: (1) compositional data analysis to examine prospective relationships between overall movement behaviour compositions and trajectories of mental health indicators, (2) isotemporal substitution modelling to determine whether the prospective association between independent movement behaviours and trajectories of mental health indicators is contingent on other movement behaviours and (3) the 'Goldilocks' approach to determine optimal time use compositions to promote favourable trajectories in mental health symptomology.
Ethical approval for this study was received from the Health Sciences Research Ethics Board at Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. The findings of this novel research will have implications for informing updates of evidence-based movement behaviour guidelines, as well as the development and implementation of preventive mental health interventions. Study findings will be disseminated via publications and conference presentations for academic audiences, infographics and short videos for community partners, early childhood educators and parents, as well as actionable recommendations for physicians and healthcare providers.
心理健康状况是一项重大的公共卫生挑战。尽管这些状况通常在青少年时期被诊断出来，但也可能在幼儿期出现。大量证据表明，参与健康的运动行为（即定期进行体育活动、减少久坐行为和保证充足睡眠）与青少年和成年人患心理健康疾病的风险较低有关。然而，这些行为在幼儿期是否具有同样的保护作用尚不清楚。幼儿期运动行为与易怒性（MOBILITY）研究旨在调查24小时运动行为与幼儿心理健康轨迹之间的关联。
MOBILITY是一项对幼儿（2至4岁）的运动行为和心理健康进行前瞻性观察的队列研究，将在三个数据收集点（基线以及6个月和12个月随访）进行评估。心理健康指标（即易怒性、内化、外化和亲社会行为）将通过家长报告问卷进行评估，运动行为将通过ActiGraph加速度计和睡眠日记进行评估。主要分析将包括使用：（1）成分数据分析来检验总体运动行为组成与心理健康指标轨迹之间的前瞻性关系；（2）等时替代模型来确定独立运动行为与心理健康指标轨迹之间的前瞻性关联是否取决于其他运动行为；（3）“金发姑娘”方法来确定促进心理健康症状良好轨迹的最佳时间利用组成。
本研究已获得加拿大安大略省伦敦市韦仕敦大学健康科学研究伦理委员会的伦理批准。这项新研究的结果将有助于为循证运动行为指南的更新以及预防性心理健康干预措施的制定和实施提供信息。研究结果将通过学术出版物和会议报告向学术受众传播，通过信息图表和短视频向社区合作伙伴、幼儿教育工作者和家长传播，以及向医生和医疗保健提供者提供可操作的建议。
