Associations Between Childcare Physical Activity and Sedentary Time and Early Childhood Developmental Outcomes: A Compositional and Isotemporal Substitution Analysis.
Sophie M Phillips, Matthew Bourke, Brianne A Bruijns and 4 others
PMID 39569560WHAT IT FOUND
Preschoolers who spent more time in energetic play during childcare had fewer internalising symptoms and better movement skills.
Replacing light activity with energetic play or sitting was linked to fewer symptoms. No links were found for cognitive scores. These are cross-sectional associations, not proof that play prevents mental health issues.
Key findings
01Spending a greater proportion of time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity relative to other behaviours was associated with fewer internalising symptoms and better fundamental movement skills.
02Replacing light physical activity with either moderate-to-vigorous activity or sedentary time was associated with fewer internalising symptoms.
03There were no significant associations between movement behaviour compositions and cognitive outcomes such as inhibitory control or working memory.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that movement behaviours cause developmental outcomes; reverse causation is possible. The sample was relatively small (107 children with usable data) and limited to one location in Canada, primarily high-income and Caucasian, which restricts generalisability. Accelerometers measured movement intensity but not the context or type of activity, particularly for sedentary time (e.g., screen time vs. drawing). The analysis focused only on childcare hours, ignoring the rest of the day, including sleep and home environments. 26% of children did not meet the accelerometer wear-time requirements, potentially introducing bias.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the associations between MVPA and better outcomes as evidence that increasing energetic play will definitively improve a child's mental health or motor skills. The study is cross-sectional and cannot rule out that children with better skills or fewer symptoms are simply more active. Additionally, the null finding for cognitive outcomes means this paper does not support claims that movement composition influences executive function in this context.