TY - JOUR
T1 - Efficacy of a free-play intervention to increase physical activity during childcare
T2 - A randomized controlled trial
AU - Wolfenden, Luke
AU - Jones, Jannah
AU - Parmenter, Ben
AU - Razak, Lubna Abdul
AU - Wiggers, John
AU - Morgan, Philip J.
AU - Finch, Meghan
AU - Sutherland, Rachel
AU - Lecathelinais, Christophe
AU - Clinton-Mcharg, Tara
AU - Gillham, Karen
AU - Yoong, Sze Lin
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (reference APP1083927), and conducted by the University of Newcastle, in collaboration with Hunter New England Population Health (a unit of the Hunter New England Local Health District), Cancer Council of New South Wales and the Hunter Medical Research Institute. The contents of this publication are the responsibility of the authors and do not reflect the views of the NHMRC. L.W. is supported by a NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (APP1128348) and a Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowship (No. 101175). L.A.R. is supported by a Faculty of Health and Medicine scholarship from the University of Newcastle. S.L.Y. receives a postdoctoral research fellowship by the National Heart Foundation.
Publisher Copyright:
© ° The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: [email protected].
PY - 2019/2/1
Y1 - 2019/2/1
N2 - The primary aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a childcare-based intervention in increasing child physical activity by allowing children unrestricted access to outdoor areas for free-play when structured activity is not taking place. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in six childcare services. Intervention services provided children unrestricted access outdoors for active free-play, while control services provided their usual scheduled periods of outdoor play. Consent was obtained from 231 children. Child moderate to vigorous activity (MVPA), the primary trial outcome, was assessed via accelerometer at baseline and 3 months post baseline. Intervention effects were examined using Generalised Linear Mixed Models. Controlling for child age, gender and baseline outcome measure, at follow-up there were no significant differences between groups in minutes of MVPA in-care (mean difference: 4.85; 95% CI: -3.96, 13.66; P = 0.28), proportion of wear time in-care spent in MVPA (mean difference: 1.52%; 95% CI: -0.50, 3.53; P = 0.14) or total physical activity in-care (mean difference in counts per minute: 23.18; 95% CI: -4.26, 50.61; P = 0.10), nor on measures of child cognition (P = 0.45-0.91). It was concluded that interventions addressing multiple aspects of the childcare and home environment might provide the greatest potential to improve child physical activity.
AB - The primary aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a childcare-based intervention in increasing child physical activity by allowing children unrestricted access to outdoor areas for free-play when structured activity is not taking place. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in six childcare services. Intervention services provided children unrestricted access outdoors for active free-play, while control services provided their usual scheduled periods of outdoor play. Consent was obtained from 231 children. Child moderate to vigorous activity (MVPA), the primary trial outcome, was assessed via accelerometer at baseline and 3 months post baseline. Intervention effects were examined using Generalised Linear Mixed Models. Controlling for child age, gender and baseline outcome measure, at follow-up there were no significant differences between groups in minutes of MVPA in-care (mean difference: 4.85; 95% CI: -3.96, 13.66; P = 0.28), proportion of wear time in-care spent in MVPA (mean difference: 1.52%; 95% CI: -0.50, 3.53; P = 0.14) or total physical activity in-care (mean difference in counts per minute: 23.18; 95% CI: -4.26, 50.61; P = 0.10), nor on measures of child cognition (P = 0.45-0.91). It was concluded that interventions addressing multiple aspects of the childcare and home environment might provide the greatest potential to improve child physical activity.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85059498630
U2 - 10.1093/her/cyy041
DO - 10.1093/her/cyy041
M3 - Article
C2 - 30445644
AN - SCOPUS:85059498630
SN - 0268-1153
VL - 34
SP - 98
EP - 112
JO - Health Education Research
JF - Health Education Research
IS - 1
ER -