Peer-reviewed article
Preschool Environment and 24-h Behaviour Movement in Uruguayan Early Childhood: A Compositional Data Analysis.
Fernandez-Gimenez S, Martins CL, Pintos-Toledo E, Souza-Marabotto F, Brazo-Sayavera J ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how the preschool environment affects young children's physical activity and movement patterns over a full 24-hour period in Uruguay. Researchers assessed 112 preschoolers aged 3-4 years, measuring their movement using accelerometers and evaluating six aspects of their preschool environment, including teacher practices, policies, and equipment. The availability and accessibility of outdoor equipment was the strongest factor associated with increased moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, particularly benefiting girls.
Key points
- Outdoor equipment availability, quantity, and accessibility significantly predicted 24-hour movement behaviour composition in preschoolers
- Outdoor equipment predicted increased moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in the sample
- The study used compositional data analysis to examine the full 24-hour movement behaviour pattern
- Six preschool environment domains were audited: teacher role, teacher training and family education, school policies, indoor equipment, outdoor equipment, and outdoor infrastructure
- The research addressed a gap in evidence about preschool environmental factors and movement behaviour in the global south
Limitations
This is a cross-sectional study, so it cannot establish cause and effect or rule out reverse causation. The study is limited to one region in Uruguay (Rivera) with 112 children, which may not represent all Uruguayan preschoolers or other contexts.
Abstract
Background The preschool environment is a critical determinant of children movement behaviour; however, evidence integrating the 24-h movement behaviour remains scarce, especially in the global south. Objective To identify the association between the preschool environment and 24-h movement behaviour in Uruguayan preschoolers. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 112 preschoolers (45.32 ± 6.40 months) from Rivera, Uruguay. Movement behaviours were measured using accelerometry (Actigraph, wGT3X-BT) and operationalized as a 24-h composition. The preschool environment was audited in six domains: i) teacher role, ii) teacher training and education for family, iii) school policies, iv) indoor equipment, v) outdoor equipment, and vi) outdoor infrastructure. Multivariate linear regression models between preschool environment and isometric log-ratio (ilr) coordinates of movement behaviours were conducted. Results The outdoor equipment environmental predictor significantly associated with the 24-h movement behaviours composition (F = 3.40, p = 0.020), favouring the increase moderate-to-vigorous physical activity MVPA (β = 0.10, p = 0.027). Conclusions This research highlights Outdoor Equipment (availability, quantity and accessibility for preschoolers) as a key factor in promoting the movements behaviour and levelling the playing field for girls in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.