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Assessing Physical Activity And Sedentary Time In The Early Years, Leigh M. Vanderloo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The overall purpose of this dissertation was to explore young children’s (18 months to 5 years) physical activity and sedentary time. Study 1 assessed the physical activity and sedentary time among a sample of toddlers from London, Canada using two data processing approaches. Study 2 explored the impact of three different early learning environments, and their respective characteristics (e.g., staff behaviours, equipment, sedentary opportunities, etc.), on preschoolers’ activity levels. Study 3 examined differences in two popular accelerometers used to measure young children’s physical activity and sedentary time to better understand measurement discrepancies.

Study 1 revealed that toddlers engaged in 37.27 …

Exploring Mothers' Influence On Preschoolers' Physical Activity Levels And Sedentary Time, Alana M. Maltby

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Physical activity (PA) patterns continue from childhood into adulthood; therefore, establishing healthy PA levels early is imperative. Mothers have been identified as influencing preschoolers’ activity behaviours; however, a holistic exploration of maternal influence is lacking. The purpose of this study was to explore maternal influence on preschoolers’ PA and sedentary time. Preschoolers (n = 30) and their mothers wore ActicalTM accelerometers, and mothers completed the adapted Environmental Determinants of Physical Activity in Preschool Children - Parent Survey. Direct entry regression analyses were conducted to explore maternal influence (e.g., support, enjoyment) on preschoolers’ activity levels. Maternal support was a significant predictor …

The Influence Of The Childcare Environment On Physical Activity Among Preschool-Aged Children: A Feasibility Study, Leigh M. Vanderloo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study sought to: (1) measure moderate-vigorous physical activity (PA) levels of a sample of preschoolers; (2) assess which attributes (e.g., space, equipment, policies) within centre-based childcare environments influence PA; and, (3) pilot the methodology to ensure the feasibility of undertaking a full-scale study. Thirty-one preschoolers from five childcare centres across London, Canada participated. Actical® accelerometers were worn by participants for one day during childcare hours to assess activity levels using a 15-second epoch length. The Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation instrument was used to conduct a full-day evaluation of the childcare environment. On average, participants engaged in 11.45 …