Validation of the Actical Accelerometer in Multiethnic Preschoolers: The Children's Healthy Living (CHL) Program.

This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of the Actical accelerometer for measuring physical activity (PA) in preschool children of mixed ethnicity, compared with direct observation via a modified System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) protocol and proxy parental reports (PA Logs). Fifty children in Hawai'i wore wrist-mounted accelerometers for two 7-day periods with a washout period between each week. Thirty children were concurrently observed using SOFIT. Parents completed PA Logs for three days. Reliability and validity were measured by intra-class correlation coefficient and proportions of agreement concurrently. There was slight agreement (proportion of agreement: 82%; weighted Kappa=.17, P <.001) between the accelerometer and SOFIT as well as between the accelerometer and the PA Logs (proportions of agreement: 40%; weighted Kappa=0.15, P <.001). PA logs underestimated the PA levels of the children, while the Actical was found to be valid and reliable for estimating PA levels of multiethnic, mixed ethnicity preschoolers. These findings suggest that accelerometers can be objective, valid, and accurate physical activity assessment tools compared to conventional PA logs and subjective reports of activity for preschool children of mixed ethnicity.

A Review of Promising Multicomponent Environmental Child Obesity Prevention Intervention Strategies by the Children's Healthy Living Program.

Childhood obesity has increased rapidly over the last three decades in the U.S. Individual-level interventions targeting healthy eating and physical activity have not significantly impacted clinical measures of obesity in children. Focusing "upstream" on physical, social, cultural, political, and economic environments may be more effective. The purpose of this qualitative review is to analyze published environmental interventions that effectively prevented or reduced obesity in children ages 2­10 years by working within their family, school, and/or community environment to increase physical activity, reduce sedentary behaviors, or improve healthy diet. Through an electronic database search, 590 original articles were identified and 33 were read in full. Using Brennan and co-authors' (2011) rating system, 18 were rated as effective intervention studies. This analysis showed that interventions targeting multiple environments (e.g., family, school, and community) show promise in reducing childhood obesity. Further research is needed to test interventions targeting multiple environments in different communities and populations.