Skip to main content

Advertising Disclaimer »

Main menu

  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • Authors/Reviewers
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Guidelines
    • Reviewer Guidelines
    • Open Access
    • Editorial Policies
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Online First
    • Archive
    • Blogs
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • AAP Meeting Abstracts
  • Pediatric Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Racism and Its Effects on Pediatric Health
    • More Collections...
  • AAP Policy
  • Supplements
    • Supplements
    • Publish Supplement
  • Multimedia
    • Video Abstracts
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • Subscribe
  • Alerts
  • Careers
  • Other Publications
    • American Academy of Pediatrics

User menu

  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
American Academy of Pediatrics

AAP Gateway

Advanced Search

AAP Logo

  • Log in
  • My Cart
  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • Authors/Reviewers
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Guidelines
    • Reviewer Guidelines
    • Open Access
    • Editorial Policies
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Online First
    • Archive
    • Blogs
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • AAP Meeting Abstracts
  • Pediatric Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Racism and Its Effects on Pediatric Health
    • More Collections...
  • AAP Policy
  • Supplements
    • Supplements
    • Publish Supplement
  • Multimedia
    • Video Abstracts
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • Subscribe
  • Alerts
  • Careers

Discover Pediatric Collections on COVID-19 and Racism and Its Effects on Pediatric Health

American Academy of Pediatrics
Article

Physical Activity Among Children Attending Preschools

Russell R. Pate, Karin A. Pfeiffer, Stewart G. Trost, Paula Ziegler and Marsha Dowda
Pediatrics November 2004, 114 (5) 1258-1263; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2003-1088-L
Russell R. Pate
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Karin A. Pfeiffer
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Stewart G. Trost
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Paula Ziegler
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Marsha Dowda
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • Comments
Loading

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Download PDF

Abstract

Objectives. Obesity rates are increasing among children of all ages, and reduced physical activity is a likely contributor to this trend. Little is known about the physical activity behavior of preschool-aged children or about the influence of preschool attendance on physical activity. The purpose of this study was to describe the physical activity levels of children while they attend preschools, to identify the demographic factors that might be associated with physical activity among those children, and to determine the extent to which children's physical activity varies among preschools.

Methods. A total of 281 children from 9 preschools wore an Actigraph (Fort Walton Beach, FL) accelerometer for an average of 4.4 hours per day for an average of 6.6 days. Each child's height and weight were measured, and parents of participating children provided demographic and education data.

Results. The preschool that a child attended was a significant predictor of vigorous physical activity (VPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Boys participated in significantly more MVPA and VPA than did girls, and black children participated in more VPA than did white children. Age was not a significant predictor of MVPA or VPA.

Conclusions. Children's physical activity levels were highly variable among preschools, which suggests that preschool policies and practices have an important influence on the overall activity levels of the children the preschools serve.

  • children
  • preschool
  • child day care centers
  • physical activity
  • accelerometer
  • Accepted May 6, 2004.
  • Copyright © 2004 by the American Academy of Pediatrics

Individual Login

Log in
You will be redirected to aap.org to login or to create your account.

Institutional Login

via Institution

You may be able to gain access using your login credentials for your institution. Contact your librarian or administrator if you do not have a username and password.

Log in through your institution

If your organization uses OpenAthens, you can log in using your OpenAthens username and password. To check if your institution is supported, please see this list. Contact your library for more details.

Purchase access

You may purchase access to this article. This will require you to create an account if you don't already have one.

Offer Reprints

PreviousNext
Back to top

Advertising Disclaimer »

In this issue

Pediatrics
Vol. 114, Issue 5
1 Nov 2004
  • Table of Contents
  • Index by author
View this article with LENS
PreviousNext
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Academy of Pediatrics.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Physical Activity Among Children Attending Preschools
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Academy of Pediatrics
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Academy of Pediatrics web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Request Permissions
Article Alerts
Log in
You will be redirected to aap.org to login or to create your account.
Or Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Citation Tools
Physical Activity Among Children Attending Preschools
Russell R. Pate, Karin A. Pfeiffer, Stewart G. Trost, Paula Ziegler, Marsha Dowda
Pediatrics Nov 2004, 114 (5) 1258-1263; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2003-1088-L

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Physical Activity Among Children Attending Preschools
Russell R. Pate, Karin A. Pfeiffer, Stewart G. Trost, Paula Ziegler, Marsha Dowda
Pediatrics Nov 2004, 114 (5) 1258-1263; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2003-1088-L
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
Print
Download PDF
Insight Alerts
  • Table of Contents

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Abstract
    • METHODS
    • RESULTS
    • DISCUSSION
    • CONCLUSIONS
    • Acknowledgments
    • REFERENCES
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • Comments

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • PubMed
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • Association between childcare educators practices and preschoolers physical activity and dietary intake: a cross-sectional analysis
  • Cohort profile for the Nurture Observational Study examining associations of multiple caregivers on infant growth in the Southeastern USA
  • Influence of the day care, home and neighbourhood environment on young children's physical activity and health: protocol for the PLAYCE observational study
  • Active Play Opportunities at Child Care
  • Gains in income during early childhood are associated with decreases in BMI z scores among children in the United States
  • Changes in Body Mass Index Associated With Head Start Participation
  • Physical Activity in Children Attending Preschools
  • Societal Values and Policies May Curtail Preschool Children's Physical Activity in Child Care Centers
  • The Relationship Between Hispanic Parents and Their Preschool-Aged Children's Physical Activity
  • Expanding Exposure: Can Increasing the Daily Duration of Head Start Reduce Childhood Obesity?
  • Best-Practice Guidelines for Physical Activity at Child Care
  • Early Child Care and Adiposity at Ages 1 and 3 Years
  • Policies and Characteristics of the Preschool Environment and Physical Activity of Young Children
  • Preschool Child Care Participation and Obesity at the Start of Kindergarten
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Neonatal SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Breastfeeding Mothers
  • Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Studies Funded Under the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act
  • Clinical Impact of a Diagnostic Gastrointestinal Panel in Children
Show more Articles

Similar Articles

Subjects

  • Sports Medicine/Physical Fitness
    • Sports Medicine/Physical Fitness
  • Community Pediatrics
    • School Health
  • Journal Info
  • Editorial Board
  • Editorial Policies
  • Overview
  • Licensing Information
  • Authors/Reviewers
  • Author Guidelines
  • Submit My Manuscript
  • Open Access
  • Reviewer Guidelines
  • Librarians
  • Institutional Subscriptions
  • Usage Stats
  • Support
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Resources
  • Media Kit
  • About
  • International Access
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • FAQ
  • AAP.org
  • shopAAP
  • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Instagram
  • Visit American Academy of Pediatrics on Facebook
  • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Twitter
  • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Youtube
  • RSS
American Academy of Pediatrics

© 2021 American Academy of Pediatrics