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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #197635
Title: SEDENTARY BEHAVIOR, NOT TV VIEWING, PREDICTS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG 3- TO 7-YEAR OLD CHILDREN

Author
item JAGO, RUSSELL - UNIV BRISTOL
item Baranowski, Thomas
item Thompson, Deborah
item Baranowski, Janice
item GREAVES, KATHRYN - THE SOLAE CO

Submitted to: Pediatric Exercise Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2005
Publication Date: 11/1/2005
Citation: Jago, R., Baranowski, T., Thompson, D., Baranowski, J., Greaves, K.A. 2005. Sedentary behavior, not TV viewing, predicts physical activity among 3- to 7-year-old children. Pediatric Exercise Science. 17(4):364-376.

Interpretive Summary: This study demonstrated that the primary predictor of physical activity among 3- to 7-year-old children was minutes of physical activity in general, not TV watching. Physical inactivity was assessed by in-home observation of the children. Thus, while TV watching is a component of inactivity, other aspects of inactivity must be addressed to increase children's level of physical activity.

Technical Abstract: Little information about relationships between the physical activity and sedentary behaviors of young children is available in the literature. We therefore examined how sedentary behaviors, TV watching, and encouragements and discouragements for activity were associated with physical activity (as measured by observation and heart rate monitoring) among a tri-ethnic cohort of 149 three- to four-year-old children, that we followed for 3 years. The results showed that sedentary behavior predicted observed activity in Years 2 and 3 (r = –.672 and –.831, respectively, R2 = .577 and .775, respectively). Similar results were obtained for heart rate monitoring. Reducing the time children spend in sedentary behavior might result in increased physical activity.