Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
Volume 12, Issue 5 , Pages 534-536 , September 2009

The challenge of understanding and assessing physical activity in preschool-age children: Thinking beyond the framework of intensity, duration and frequency of activity

  • Genevieve M. Dwyer

      Affiliations

    • The University of Sydney Discipline of Pediatrics and Child Health, The Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, Australia
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author.
  • ,
  • Louise A. Baur

      Affiliations

    • The University of Sydney Discipline of Pediatrics and Child Health, The Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, Australia
    • NSW Centre for Overweight and Obesity, University of Sydney, Australia
  • ,
  • Louise L. Hardy

      Affiliations

    • NSW Centre for Overweight and Obesity, University of Sydney, Australia

Received 30 April 2008 ,Revised 21 October 2008 ,Accepted 21 October 2008.

References 

  1. Canadian Paediatric Society . Healthy active living for children and youth. Paediatr Child Health. 2002;7:339–345
  2. Tey C, Wake M, Campbell M, Hampton A, Williams J. The Light Time-Use Diary and preschool activity patterns: exploratory study. Int J Pediatr Obes. 2007;2:167–173
  3. Oliver M, Schofield GM, Kolt GS. Physical activity in preschoolers: understanding prevalence and measurement issues. Sports Med. 2007;37:1045–1070
  4. Sirard JR, Pate RR. Physical activity assessment in children and adolescents. Sports Med. 2001;31:439–454
  5. Cech DJ, Martin S. Functional movement development across the lifespan. 2nd ed.. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders; 2002;
  6. Burdette HL, Whitaker RC. Resurrecting free play in young children: looking beyond fitness and fatness to attention, affiliation, and affect. Arch Pediatr Adolec Med. 2005;159:46–50
  7. Telama R, Yang X, Viikari J, Valimaki I, Wanne O, Raitakari O. Physical activity from childhood to adulthood: a 21-year tracking study. Am J Prev Med. 2005;28:267–273
  8. Aubert EJ. Motor development in the normal child. In:  Tecklin JS editors. Pediatric physical therapy. 4th ed.. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008;p. 17–65
  9. Beck LE. Child development. 7th ed.. Boston: Peason/Allyn and Bacon; 2006;
  10. Campbell SK. The child's development of functional movement. In:  Campbell SK,  Vander Linden DW,  Palisano RJ editor. Physical therapy for children. 3rd ed.. St Louis: Saunders Elsevier; 2006;p. 33–76
  11. Anselmo S, Franz W. Early child development: prenatal through age eight. 2nd ed.. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall; 1995;
  12. Trost SG. Objective measurement of physical activity in youth: current issues, future directions. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2001;29:32–36
  13. Bar-Or O, Malina RM. Activity, fitness and health of children and adolescents. In:  Cheung LWY,  Richmond JB editor. Child health nutrition and physical activity. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics; 1995;p. 79–112
  14. Caspersen CJ, Powell KE, Christenson GM. Physical activity, exercise and physical fitness: definition and distinctions for health-related research. Public Health Rep. 1985;100:126–131
  15. Pellegrini AD, Smith PK. Physical activity play: the nature and function of a neglected aspect of play. Child Dev. 1998;69:577–598
  16. Sylva K, Czerniewska P. Play. In:  Gott M,  Moloney B editor. Child health: a reader. Oxford: Radcliffe Medical Press; 1994;p. 60–68
  17. Ashiabi GS. Play in the preschool classroom: its socioemotional significance and the teacher's role in play. Early Childhood Educ J. 2007;35:199–207
  18. Ginsburg KR and the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Communication and the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health. The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. Pediatrics 2007;119:182–91. [119(1):182–91].

PII: S1440-2440(08)00207-7

doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2008.10.005

Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
Volume 12, Issue 5 , Pages 534-536 , September 2009