Physical Activity in Preschool Children (RMI)

描述（由申请人提供）：本申请要求对当前研究学龄前儿童体力活动（R 01 HD 043126）进行补充。正在进行的研究的目的是描述学龄前儿童的体育活动行为，并确定影响学龄前儿童体育活动的环境因素和机构政策和做法。作为正在进行的研究的一部分，研究人员开发了一种直接观察系统，用于测量3至5岁儿童在学龄前环境中的身体活动和环境对身体活动的影响。本补充申请中提议的活动将扩展和扩大正在进行的工作。补充研究的具体目的是：1）开发一个系统，用于直接观察家庭环境中幼儿的身体活动和潜在相关的身体和社会环境因素; 2）开发一个系统，用于直接观察小学环境中儿童的身体活动和潜在相关的身体和社会环境因素。调查人员将遵循九个步骤来开发两个新系统中的每一个，从家庭系统开始。步骤包括：研究相关的出版文献，在16个具有广泛代表性的环境中进行环境扫描（初步观察）（即，16个家庭或16所小学），开发系统的草案版本，使用手持计算机创建管理系统的软件，培训研究助理管理系统，在代表性环境中进行现场测试，分析试点数据，审查所有试点数据和其他相关信息，并根据需要修改系统，并开发最终软件和详细程序手册。这两个新系统与正在进行的研究中开发的系统相结合，将为研究人员提供最先进的仪器，用于全面检查身体活动和影响3-11岁儿童身体活动的环境因素。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application requests a supplement to a current study, Physical Activity in Preschool Children (R01HD043126). The purpose of the ongoing study is to describe the physical activity behaviors of children in preschools and to identify environmental factors and institutional policies and practices that influence physical activity of children in preschools. As part of the ongoing study the investigators have developed a direct observation system for measuring physical activity and environmental influences on physical activity in 3 to 5 year-old children while they are in a preschool setting. The activities proposed in this supplement application would extend and expand the ongoing work. The specific aims of the supplement study are 1) to develop a system for direct observation of physical activity and potentially related physical and social environmental factors in young children in the home setting, and 2) to develop a system for direct observation of physical activity and potentially related physical and social environmental factors in children in the elementary school setting. The investigators will follow a nine-step process in developing each of the two new systems, beginning with the home system. The steps will include: research the relevant published literature, conduct environmental scans (preliminary observations) in 16 broadly representative settings (i.e., 16 homes or 16 elementary schools), develop a draft version of the system, create software for administering the system using hand-held computers, train research assistants to administer the system, conduct field testing in representative settings, analyze pilot data, review all pilot data and other pertinent information and modify the system as needed, and develop final software and detailed procedures manual. The two new systems, when combined with the system developed in the ongoing study, will provide researchers with state-of-the-art instruments for comprehensive examination of physical activity and the environmental factors that influence physical activity in children ages 3-11.