Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior and Weight Status in Early Childhood

在过去的三十年里，美国儿童肥胖症的流行率急剧上升， 这一趋势甚至在最小的孩子身上也很明显。大约8%的婴幼儿患有 长体重比高，这会增加儿童和青少年患肥胖症和其他健康问题的风险 更远一点。因此，主要的卫生组织已经确定预防幼儿肥胖是一个关键 公共卫生挑战。低水平的体力活动和高水平的久坐行为可能会导致 在幼儿中过度肥胖的发展，但这些关系还没有得到充分的探索。 在3岁及以上的儿童中，加速计已被广泛用于测量体力活动和久坐不动。 行为。然而，它很少被用来测量婴儿和蹒跚学步的儿童的身体活动水平，然后 仅限于横断面研究。以前还没有研究使用加速度计作为物理测量的客观测量 幼儿从婴儿期发展到学龄前阶段的活动。因此，人们对此知之甚少 与幼儿身体活动行为发展相关的因素，但知之甚少 关于客观测量的体力活动和久坐行为对发育的影响 从婴儿期到3岁过渡期间的体重状况。这项研究的第一个目的是描述身体 幼儿从婴儿期到学龄前阶段的活动和久坐行为。第二 目的是描述体重状况与体力活动和久坐行为的纵向联系 随着幼儿从婴儿期发展到学龄前阶段。拟议的调查将雇用一名 纵向观察性研究设计。参与者将是160名儿童及其亲生母亲，他们生活在 南卡罗来纳州哥伦比亚市。参与者将通过托儿中心、儿科诊所、 教堂和里奇兰县的社区组织。对于每个参与的孩子，测量将是 在6、12、18、24、30和36个月大时拍摄。在每个时间点，每个孩子的身体活动，久坐 将客观测量行为、体重状况和运动发育状况，每个孩子的母亲 将完成一项调查，以评估人口、社会和自然环境因素；总运动量 里程碑；与体力活动和久坐行为有关的育儿做法；以及饮食做法。 托儿中心主任将每年完成一次调查，以评估托儿中心的特点，以及 环境与政策评估和观察(EPAO)将在孩子的课堂上进行 每年一次。这项拟议的研究将具有重要意义，因为它将显著扩大我们对 前三项体力活动、久坐行为与肥胖发生的关系 生命中的岁月。拟议的调查将是创新的，因为它将是第一个使用客观 体力活动的测量和检查体力活动模式的纵向研究设计 它们与6至36个月儿童体重状况的发展有关。

The prevalence of childhood obesity in the U.S. has increased dramatically over the past three decades, and the trend has become evident even in the youngest children. Approximately 8% of infants and toddlers have high weight-for-length, which increases risk for developing obesity and other health problems in childhood and beyond. Thus, leading health organizations have identified prevention of obesity in young children as a critical public health challenge. Low levels of physical activity and high levels of sedentary behavior may contribute to the development of excessive fatness in young children, but these relationships have not been fully explored. In children ages 3 and above, accelerometry has been used widely to measure physical activity and sedentary behavior. However, it rarely has been used to measure physical activity levels in infants and toddlers, and then only in cross-sectional studies. No previous study has used accelerometry as an objective measure of physical activity in young children as they develop from infancy to preschool age. Accordingly, little is known about the factors associated with the development of physical activity behavior in very young children, and little is known about the influence of physical activity and sedentary behavior, measured objectively, on development of weight status during the transition from infancy to age 3. The first aim of this study is to describe physical activity and sedentary behavior in young children as they develop from infancy to preschool age. The second aim is to describe the longitudinal associations of weight status with physical activity and sedentary behavior as young children develop from infancy to preschool age. The proposed investigation will employ a longitudinal, observational study design. Participants will be 160 children and their biological mothers living in Columbia, South Carolina. Participants will be recruited through childcare centers, pediatrics practices, churches, and community organizations in Richland County. For each participating child, measurements will be taken at 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months of age. At each time point, each child’s physical activity, sedentary behavior, weight status and motor developmental status will be measured objectively, and each child’s mother will complete a survey to assess demographic, social and physical environmental factors; gross motor milestones; parenting practices related to physical activity and sedentary behavior; and dietary practices. Childcare center directors will complete a survey annually to assess center characteristics, and the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO) will be administered in the child’s classroom annually. The proposed research will be significant because it will markedly expand our knowledge of the relationships among physical activity, sedentary behavior and development of adiposity during the first three years of life. The proposed investigation will be innovative because it will be the first to use objective measurement of physical activity and a longitudinal study design in examining physical activity patterns and their associations with development of weight status in children between the ages of 6 and 36 months.