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1.
Psychol Sport Exerc ; 75: 102705, 2024 Jul 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39029639

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Physical activity may have positive effects on preschoolers' mental health and self-regulation. The preschool setting provides children with opportunities to meet physical activity guidelines and could improve with staff training in delivering physical activity. This study examined the effect of physical activity professional development for preschool staff on preschoolers' proxy-measured mental health and self-regulation. METHODS: In total, 1265 children from 46 preschools were cluster randomised to either the intervention or the control group. The intervention was nested within two levels implemented concurrently: the preschool level, formed as a professional development where preschools conducted development work, and the child level, with whom the staff implemented physical activity with four core components. Data were analysed using an ANCOVA model through structural equation modelling with latent outcome factors of: emotional problems, peer problems, hyperactivity, and prosocial behaviour from the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire; and cognitive, emotional, and behavioural self-regulation from the Child Self-regulation and Behaviour Questionnaire. RESULTS: No effects of the intervention (standardised effect sizes -0.195-0.145, p-values 0.118-0.893) were observed. Secondary analysis showed that children with initially high prosocial behaviour and behavioural self-regulation positively benefited from the intervention (p = 0.035 and p = 0.047, respectively). CONCLUSION: The ACTNOW intervention had no effects on preschoolers' mental health or self-regulation after 18 months, besides effects for children with initially the highest prosocial behaviour and behavioural self-regulation. Although the professional development was more extensive than previous studies it may have been insufficient to change the preschools physical activity practices. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov identifier NCT04048967.

2.
J Cogn ; 7(1): 58, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39035072

ABSTRACT

Executive function (EF) theory and research continues to under-represent the contexts in which the majority of the world's children reside, despite their potential to support, refute, or refine our current understandings. The current study sought to contribute to our understanding of EF in low-income settings in South Africa by investigating longitudinal associations of context-specific risk and protective factors for EF development in three- to five-year-old children who had limited access to ECCE services before the age of five. Child-caregiver dyads (N = 171) participated in two rounds of data collection (approximately seven months apart) during which child EF was assessed using the Early Years Toolbox; context-specific risk and protective factors were assessed through a caregiver questionnaire. Hierarchical linear regressions revealed that after controlling for age, attending ECCE services at time 2 (ß = 0.30, p < 0.001), and diversity of caregivers at time 1 (ß = 0.14, p = 0.041) were the only factors positively associated with EF at time 2. Other factors commonly associated with EF such as caregiver education, and household income were not significant, while resources in the home were significantly associated with EF (ß = -0.18, p = 0.007) but in the opposite direction to what was expected. These results add to accumulating evidence that predictors of EF established in Minority World contexts may not be consistent across contexts, emphasising the need to broaden the EF evidence base. For instance, future studies could incorporate qualitative and ethnographic methods to better capture the cultural and contextual nuances relating to EF, to better inform our statistical and theoretical models.

3.
J Cogn ; 7(1): 47, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38799082

ABSTRACT

Two working memory (WM) measures were contrasted, to clarify the nature of advantages in gifted children's cognitive processing. It was predicted that cognitively gifted children would excel in WM tasks taxing mental attention (i.e., n-back) but not tasks supported by perceptual attention (i.e., self-ordered pointing, SOPT). Ninety-one children aged 9-10 and 13-14 years, in a gifted or mainstream classroom, received n-back and SOPT, plus measures of mental-attentional (M-) capacity, inhibition, and shifting. Older children generally scored higher than younger children. As predicted, gifted children outperformed mainstream peers on all tasks, except for SOPT. Results demonstrate the need to distinguish between mental and perceptual attention in measurement of WM.

4.
Brain Sci ; 14(4)2024 Mar 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38671970

ABSTRACT

Direct assessments of executive functions (EFs) are increasingly used in research and clinical settings, with a central assumption that they assess "universal" underlying skills. Their use is spreading globally, raising questions about the cultural appropriateness of assessments devised in Western industrialized countries. We selectively reviewed multidisciplinary evidence and theory to identify sets of cultural preferences that may be at odds with the implicit assumptions of EF assessments. These preferences relate to motivation and compliance; cultural expectations for interpersonal engagement; contextualized vs. academic thinking; cultural notions of speed and time; the willingness to be silly, be incorrect, or do the opposite; and subject-matter familiarity. In each case, we discuss how the cultural preference may be incompatible with the assumptions of assessments, and how future research and practice can address the issue. Many of the cultural preferences discussed differ between interdependent and independent cultures and between schooled and unschooled populations. Adapting testing protocols to these cultural preferences in different contexts will be important for expanding our scientific understanding of EF from the narrow slice of the human population that has participated in the research to date.

5.
Ann Glob Health ; 89(1): 82, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38025924

ABSTRACT

Background: Water and sanitation are vital to human health and well-being. While these factors have been studied in relation to health, very little has been done to consider such environmental risk factors with child development. Here, we investigated possible relations between household water access/storage and early childhood development in four low-income settlements in the City of Cape Town, Western Cape province of South Africa. Our objectives were 1) to determine water access/storage practices in dwellings of children; 2) to assess early childhood development; and 3) and to understand the relationship between water access/storage practices in relation to early childhood development. Methods: We used a questionnaire to assess household water risk factors and the International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA) tool to assess child early learning / cognitive, socio-emotional and motor development. Results: Mean age of the children (N = 192) was 4 years and 55% were female. The mean IDELA score was 48% (range: 36-54%) where the higher the score, the better the child's development. Around 70% of households had a tap inside their dwelling and half said that they stored water with the largest percentage of storage containers (21%) being plastic/no lid. Child IDELA scores were lower for children living in households that did not have an indoor tap and for households who stored water. Conclusions: Given the risks associated with climate change and the already poor conditions many children face regarding water and sanitation, research is needed to further investigate these relations to provide evidence to support appropriate interventions and ensure healthy child development.


Subject(s)
Drinking Water , Child , Humans , Child, Preschool , Female , Male , Child Development , South Africa , Poverty Areas , Poverty
6.
Dev Sci ; : e13407, 2023 May 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37128134

ABSTRACT

Executive functions (EFs) in early childhood are predictors of later developmental outcomes and school readiness. Much of the research on EFs and their psychosocial correlates has been conducted in high-income, minority world countries, which represent a small and biased portion of children globally. The aim of this study is to examine EFs among children aged 3-5 years in two African countries, South Africa (SA) and The Gambia (GM), and to explore shared and distinct predictors of EFs in these settings. The SA sample (N = 243, 51.9% female) was recruited from low-income communities within the Cape Town Metropolitan area. In GM, participants (N = 171, 49.7% female) were recruited from the rural West Kiang region. EFs, working memory (WM), inhibitory control (IC) and cognitive flexibility (CF), were measured using tablet-based tasks. Associations between EF task performance and indicators of socioeconomic status (household assets, caregiver education) and family enrichment factors (enrichment activities, diversity of caregivers) were assessed. Participants in SA scored higher on all EF tasks, but children in both sites predominantly scored within the expected range for their age. There were no associations between EFs and household or familial variables in SA, except for a trend-level association between caregiver education and CF. Patterns were similar in GM, where there was a trend-level association between WM and enrichment activities but no other relationships. We challenge the postulation that children in low-income settings have poorer EFs, simply due to lower socioeconomic status, but highlight the need to identify predictors of EFs in diverse, global settings. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Assessed Executive Functioning (EF) skills and their psychosocial predictors among pre-school aged children (aged 3-5 years) in two African settings (The Gambia and South Africa). On average, children within each setting performed within the expected range for their age, although children in South Africa had higher scores across tasks. There was little evidence of any association between socioeconomic variables and EFs in either site. Enrichment activities were marginally associated with better working memory in The Gambia, and caregiver education with cognitive flexibility in South Africa, both associations were trend-level significance.

7.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36673886

ABSTRACT

This study examined changes in physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), screen time, sleep, and executive function among Japanese preschoolers between COVID-19 pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, using cross-sectional and longitudinal data. Accelerometer data from 63 children aged 5-6 years were collected from three kindergartens in Tokyo, Japan, in late 2019 (pre-COVID-19). This was compared to the data of 49 children aged 5-6 years from the same kindergartens, collected in late 2020 (during COVID-19). Sixteen children in the pre-COVID-19 cohort also participated in the 2020 survey and provided data for the longitudinal analysis. The mean minutes of PA, SB, screen time, and sleep duration, as well as executive function, were compared between the pre- and during COVID-19 cohorts. After adjusting for school, sex, and accelerometer wear time, there were no significant differences in any of the measured outcomes between the two cohorts. However, the analysis of longitudinal data revealed significant increases in time spent in SB and on screens, and a decrease in light-intensity PA and sleep duration during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period. Results suggest that, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, young children's activity levels and SB did not significantly differ from pre-pandemic levels. However, school-aged children's SB, light PA, and sleep time were affected, although this cannot be disentangled from the effects of the transition to school.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , Child , Child, Preschool , COVID-19/epidemiology , Sedentary Behavior , Japan/epidemiology , Pandemics , Cross-Sectional Studies , Exercise , Accelerometry/methods
8.
Res Q Exerc Sport ; 94(3): 839-852, 2023 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35522990

ABSTRACT

Research combining physical activity with the training of cognitive skills such as executive functions is emerging as a novel and fruitful intervention approach for children. Purpose: This study aimed to examine the impact of an intervention program including cognitively engaging physical activity on preschool children's cognitive outcomes and physical activity. Methods: Children (N = 144, 65 female; Mage = 4.41 years, SD = 0.61), randomly assigned to one of three groups: cognitively engaging physical activity (CPA; i.e., storytelling, cognitive activities, and motor tasks, n = 55), cognition (i.e., storytelling and cognitive activities without motor tasks, n = 48), or control (i.e., traditional storytelling, n = 41). Sessions lasted approximately 17 minutes, conducted twice a week, for 6 weeks. Children's executive function, self-regulation, and related outcomes (i.e., numeracy) were assessed at baseline and again-along with perceived enjoyment-at the end of the program. Accelerometers measured children's physical activity during each session. Teachers completed a logbook for each session, and two fidelity checks per preschool took place by the researcher. Main analyses used linear mixed models adjusted for covariates (age, sex) and clustering at the preschool level. Results: Results showed no significant group by time interaction for executive function, self-regulation, numeracy, enjoyment. During the sessions, children in the CPA group were more physically active than children in the cognition and control groups. Conclusion: While we did not find the expected amplified cognitive benefits, making storytelling more active has the potential to meet two needs (increase cognitive stimulation and physical activity levels) in one deed.


Subject(s)
Cognition , Exercise , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Cognition/physiology , Executive Function/physiology , Exercise/physiology , Schools , Male
9.
J Early Child Res ; 21(1): 76-90, 2023 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38603242

ABSTRACT

Young children's use of digital technologies has presented challenges for parents, particularly in response to an increased reliance on digital resources during the Covid-19 pandemic. This mixed-methods study explored young children's digital practices within the context of their families and homes. Although this study was originally planned, the timing of data collection meant that it was uniquely positioned to capture parent perspectives as the pandemic and first lockdown was unfolding in Australia. Data was collected through questionnaire (N = 101) and semistructured interview (n = 20) about status and change in children's digital practices, and parents' rules and flexibility in governing these experiences. Quantitative findings suggested children's frequency and duration of digital device use trended upwards during lockdown, and parents were more flexible in their rules about the amount of screen time, as well as when and where children could use digital devices. Qualitative results suggested that, more than a temporary and situational change, for many parents, exposure to new ways of engaging with digital technologies facilitated a shift in their perceptions, leading to greater consideration of quality in their choices for their children. This study highlights the influential role of parents in shaping children's digital experiences. Understanding their perceptions, as well as children's current and shifting digital practices in the home, is important for informing efforts and guidance for supporting young children's safe and effective use of digital technologies.

10.
Child Abuse Negl ; 134: 105944, 2022 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36356426

ABSTRACT

Biological and psychosocial stressors that have been associated with income include family dynamics such as household chaos, family conflict, maternal depression, harsh parenting, lower parental responsiveness, and exposure to violence. Research from high income countries has shown that exposure to violence may have detrimental effects on children's self-regulation, with possible flow-on implications for broad later-life outcomes, but less is known about such links in low- and- middle income countries, where many children live in violent communities and households and where physical punishment remains the norm. This study aimed to investigate exposure to violence, in addition to coercive parenting, and its associations with self-regulation among 243 3- to 5-year-olds (M = 4.7 ± 0.6; 51.9 % female) from low-income settings in Cape Town and who were not attending Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). Results showed that self-regulation was not associated with child exposure to community violence, but it was positively associated with coercive parenting (ß = 0.17; p = 0.03). The null concurrent associations between exposure to violence and self-regulation suggest the need for additional research aimed at understanding later potential developmental sequelae. It is important that findings regarding coercive parenting are contextualised within local social norms around parenting styles, as well as the influence of living in dangerous communities on parenting practices.


Subject(s)
Exposure to Violence , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Exposure to Violence/psychology , South Africa/epidemiology , Parenting/psychology , Violence/psychology , Poverty
11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35206641

ABSTRACT

Self-regulation (SR) is considered foundational in early life, with robust evidence demonstrating a link between early self-regulation and longer-term outcomes. This has been the impetus for a growing body of intervention research into how best to support early SR development, yet approaches and effects are diverse, which complicates an understanding of the critical characteristics for effective early SR intervention. Using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as a guiding framework, we present a scoping review of early SR-intervention research to identify the characteristics of pre-school interventions that show significant and strong effects on young children's SR. Studies from peer-reviewed journal articles were included if they evaluated a SR intervention with pre-school children, were published between 2010 and 2020, written in English, and included a SR outcome measure. This yielded 19 studies, each reporting the efficacy of a different SR intervention. Results showed that content factors (what interventions do) interacted with their implementation (how, when, and by whom interventions are implemented) to discriminate the more versus less efficacious interventions. Through the lens of SDT, results further suggested that targeting competence through encouragement and feedback, and nurturing children's autonomy distinguished more from less effective interventions. Relatedness was least able to discriminate intervention efficacy.


Subject(s)
Personal Autonomy , Self-Control , Outcome Assessment, Health Care
12.
Front Psychol ; 13: 1092284, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36687934

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Substantial research indicates that high quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) confers a wide range of benefits for children, yet quality in ECEC remains inconsistent. Given the variability in training and qualifications, one strategy for improving ECEC quality is in-service professional development (PD). Methods: The current study evaluated an evidence-based in-service PD programme, Leadership for Learning, via a cluster randomised controlled trial involving 83 ECEC services and 1,346 children in their final year of pre-school. Results: Results indicated significant improvements in teaching quality across treatment centres and child development outcomes in language, numeracy and social-emotional development. Discussion: This study provides strong support for making evidence-informed PD routinely available for ECEC practitioners.

13.
Front Psychol ; 12: 733328, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34777117

ABSTRACT

Despite a tendency to study executive function (EF) and self-regulation (SR) separately, parallel lines of research suggest considerable overlap between the two abilities. Specifically, both show similar developmental trajectories (i.e., develop rapidly in the early years), predict a broad range of overlapping outcomes across the lifespan (e.g., academic success, mental and physical health, and social competence), and have overlapping neural substrates (e.g., prefrontal cortex). While theoretical frameworks diverge in how they reconcile EF and SR - ranging from treating the two as functionally synonymous, to viewing them as related yet distinct abilities - there is no consensus and limited empirical evidence on the nature of their relationship and how this extends developmentally. The current study examined bi-directional longitudinal associations between early EF and SR, and their longitudinal associations with subsequent early academic skills, in a sample of 199 3- to 5-year-old pre-school children. The adopted measures permitted EF and SR to be modelled as composite indices for these analyses, thereby decreasing task-specific components of these associations. Early academic skills were captured by a standardized direct assessment. Bi-directional associations between EF and SR were found, with both accounting for unique variance in early academic skills 7 and 19months later. The current results provide important evidence to distinguish between EF and SR abilities, yet also for their reciprocal influence in situ and across early development.

14.
Nutrients ; 13(10)2021 Oct 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34684562

ABSTRACT

Supplementation of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA) may enhance self-regulation (SR) and executive functioning (EF) in children of preschool age. The aim of the Omega Kid Study was to investigate the effect of n-3 LCPUFA supplementation on SR and EF in typically developing preschool-aged children. A double-blind placebo-controlled pilot trial was undertaken, the intervention was 12 weeks and consisted of 1.6 g of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per day compared to placebo. The HS-Omega-3 Index® was assessed by capillary blood samples at baseline and post-intervention. Seventy-eight children were enrolled and randomised to either the n-3 LCPUFA treatment (n = 39) or placebo (n = 39) group. Post intervention, there was a significant three-fold increase in the HS-Omega-3 Index® in the n-3 LCPUFA group (p < 0.001). There were no improvements in SR or EF outcome variables for the n-3 LCPUFA group post intervention compared to the placebo group determined by linear mixed models. At baseline, there were significant modest positive Spearman correlations found between the HS-Omega-3 index® and both behavioural self-regulation and cognitive self-regulation (r = 0.287, p = 0.015 and r = 0.242, p = 0.015 respectively). Although no treatment effects were found in typically developing children, further research is required to target children with sub-optimal self-regulation who may benefit most from n-3 LCPUFA supplementation.


Subject(s)
Child Development , Dietary Supplements , Fatty Acids, Omega-3/pharmacology , Self-Control , Child, Preschool , Double-Blind Method , Eating , Female , Humans , Male , Outcome Assessment, Health Care , Pilot Projects , Placebos
15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33567758

ABSTRACT

Executive functions and psychosocial health during childhood are positively associated with health and developmental outcomes into adulthood. Electronic media use has been reported to adversely affect health and development in children; however, what remains unclear is whether contemporary media behaviors, such as electronic application (app) use, exerts similar effects on health and development. We investigated the associations of electronic media use (program viewing and app use) with cognitive and psychosocial development in preschoolers. Parents of preschool children (n = 247, 4.2 ± 0.6 years) reported the time their child spent using electronic media. Direct assessment of the children's executive functions (working memory, inhibition, and shifting) and educator-reported psychosocial difficulties were also collected. Associations were examined using linear regression adjustments for covariates and preschool clustering. Small, but significant, negative associations were observed for total electronic media use (b = -0.001; 95% CI: -0.003, -0.000; p = 0.026) and program viewing (b = -0.002; 95% CI: -0.003, -0.000; p = 0.033) with children's visual-spatial working memory. However, high-dose app users demonstrated higher phonological working memory scores compared to non-users (MD = 0.31; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.58; p = 0.025). Similarly, compared to non-users, low-dose app users displayed statistically significantly fewer total difficulties (MD = -1.67; 95% CI: -3.31, -0.02; p = 0.047). No associations were evident for high-dose app users and the remaining outcomes. The results may suggest that attempts to reduce program viewing while promoting moderate levels of app use may exert positive influences on children's executive functions and psychosocial development.


Subject(s)
Executive Function , Television , Adult , Child , Child, Preschool , Cognition , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , Memory, Short-Term
16.
Nutrients ; 13(1)2021 Jan 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33451057

ABSTRACT

Self-regulation, the regulation of behaviour in early childhood, impacts children's success at school and is a predictor of health, wealth, and criminal outcomes in adulthood. Self-regulation may be optimised by dietary supplementation of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFAs). The aim of the "Omega Kid" study is to investigate the feasibility of a protocol to investigate whether n-3 LCPUFA supplementation enhances self-regulation in preschool-aged children. The protocol assessed involved a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of 12 weeks duration, with an intervention of 1.6 g of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per day (0.3 g EPA and 1.3 g DHA) in a microencapsulated powder compared to placebo. Children (n = 78; 40 boys and 38 girls) aged 3-5 years old were recruited and randomly allocated to the treatment (n = 39) or placebo group (n = 39). The HS-Omega-3 Index® served as a manipulation check on the delivery of either active (n-3 LCPUFAs) or placebo powders. Fifty-eight children (76%) completed the intervention (28-30 per group). Compliance to the study protocol was high, with 92% of children providing a finger-prick blood sample at baseline and high reported-adherence to the study intervention (88%). Results indicate that the protocol is feasible and may be employed in an adequately powered clinical trial to test the hypothesis that n-3 LCPUFA supplementation will improve the self-regulation of preschool-aged children.


Subject(s)
Child Development/drug effects , Dietary Supplements , Fatty Acids, Omega-3/administration & dosage , Self-Control , Biomarkers/blood , Child, Preschool , Electroencephalography , Executive Function , Feasibility Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Patient Compliance
17.
J Sports Sci ; 38(24): 2858-2865, 2020 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32912077

ABSTRACT

To examine the longitudinal associations of objectively measured physical activity and modified organized sport participation with executive functions and psychological health in preschoolers. One hundred and eighty-five preschool children, mean age 4.2 ± 7.68; (years:months), 34% girls were followed for one year. Physical activity was measured using accelerometery, examining light, moderate, vigorous, moderate-to-vigorous, and total physical activity. Parents reported children's participation in modified organized sport. Direct assessment of children's executive functions (working memory, inhibition and shifting) and educator-reported psychosocial difficulties were also collected. Associations were examined using linear regression adjusting for covariates, baseline developmental outcomes and preschool clustering. Vigorous physical activity at baseline was positively associated with children's shifting performance (b = 0.245; 95% CI: 0.006, 0.485, p =.045) at follow-up, while the association for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity approached significance (b = 0.119; 95% CI: -0.001, 0.239, p =.051). Children not participating in modified organized sport at baseline demonstrated better inhibition scores 12-months later compared to sports participants (Mdiff 0.06; CI: 0.00, 0.13, p =.046). Increasing time spent in higher intensity physical activity among preschool children may be a viable target for supporting their later cognitive development, although there was no clear benefit of early participation in modified organized sport.


Subject(s)
Executive Function/physiology , Exercise/psychology , Mental Health , Youth Sports/psychology , Accelerometry/statistics & numerical data , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Inhibition, Psychological , Linear Models , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Memory, Short-Term , Time Factors
19.
J Phys Act Health ; 17(10): 940-946, 2020 08 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32858523

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of an embedded after-school intervention, on promoting physical activity and academic achievement in primary-school-aged children. METHODS: This 6-month, 2-arm cluster randomized controlled trial involved 4 after-school centers. Two centers were randomly assigned to the intervention, which involved training the center staff on and implementing structured physical activity (team sports and physical activity sessions for 75 min) and academic enrichment activities (45 min). The activities were implemented 3 afternoons per week for 2.5 hours. The control centers continued their usual after-school care practice. After-school physical activity (accelerometry) and executive functions (working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility) were assessed pre- and postintervention. RESULTS: A total of 60 children were assessed (7.7 [1.8] y; 50% girls) preintervention and postintervention (77% retention rate). Children in the intervention centers spent significantly more time in moderate to vigorous physical activity (adjusted difference = 2.4%; 95% confidence interval, 0.6 to 4.2; P = .026) and scored higher on cognitive flexibility (adjusted difference = 1.9 units; 95% confidence interval, 0.9 to 3.0; P = .009). About 92% of the intervention sessions were implemented. The participation rates varied between 51% and 94%. CONCLUSION: This after-school intervention was successful at increasing moderate to vigorous physical activity and enhancing cognitive flexibility in children. As the intervention was implemented by the center staff and local university students, further testing for effectiveness and scalability in a larger trial is required.


Subject(s)
Executive Function , Exercise , Accelerometry , Australia , Child , Female , Health Promotion , Humans , Male , School Health Services , Schools
20.
J Sci Med Sport ; 23(9): 846-853, 2020 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32360244

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether meeting the Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines was associated with cognitive and psychosocial health in preschoolers. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. METHODS: Cross-sectional (n=247) and 12-month longitudinal (n=185) data from the PATH-ABC study were examined. Physical activity was assessed by accelerometry. Parents reported children's screen time and sleep. Children were categorised at baseline as meeting: i) none/one guideline, ii) two guidelines, or iii) 24-Hour Movement Guidelines. Associations with executive functions and psychosocial health were examined using linear regression, adjusting for covariates and preschool clustering. Longitudinal associations were additionally adjusted for baseline levels of development. RESULTS: High proportions of children met the physical activity (94.3%) and sleep (89.9%) guidelines, 17.8% and 17.4% met screen time and 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, respectively. Cross-sectionally, children meeting both sleep and physical activity guidelines displayed better phonological working memory (p=0.026) and shifting (p= 0.034) scores compared to children who did not. Meeting two (p=0.037) and three (p=0.017) guidelines were associated with better phonological working memory and shifting scores, respectively (vs. meeting 0/1 guideline). Longitudinally, children meeting the physical activity guideline at baseline displayed better shifting performance 12-months later compared to those who did not (p<0.002). No associations with remaining cognitive outcomes, and no associations with psychosocial outcomes were evident. CONCLUSIONS: Null associations suggest that meeting the recommendations may not be adequate for broad cognitive and psychosocial health outcomes in preschoolers. However, supporting preschool children to meet the physical activity and sleep guidelines, may be beneficial for aspects of cognitive health.


Subject(s)
Executive Function , Exercise/psychology , Guideline Adherence , Sedentary Behavior , Sleep , Accelerometry , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Prospective Studies , Surveys and Questionnaires
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