Progress 07/01/10 to 06/30/12
Outputs
Several recent studies have shown that preschoolers spend most of their day in sedentary behavior (70-90%) and a small amount of time in moderate to vigorous physical activity (PA). Because low levels of PA are associated with high weight status in children, attention must be given to increasing PA levels in order to reverse the current epidemic. The IM/IL approach is used by most Head Start centers across the nation and there has been no indication that the program increases the PA levels of its students. Therefore, due to the lack of outcome research and the unfocused nature of the IM/IL materials, the current study sought to measure the PA level of Head Start children under the IM/IL approach before and after the addition of the CEC curriculum. We hypothesized that the CATCH curriculum, which has a more direct and specific program involving teacher-led physical activity, will increase the duration and intensity of children�s physical activity. The results indicated that the CATCH curriculum may not improve the intensity or duration of physical activity in Head Start students but may be a more feasible tool for teachers than the IM/IL approach. From baseline to follow-up there was virtually no difference in sedentary, moderate, vigorous and very vigorous activity. Teachers reported implementing one CATCH activity per day during the intervention period and stated that the curriculum was easier to implement than the IM/IL approach. The current study expanded this research approach to a more diverse population and a younger audience. Due to the nature of Head Start programs, many of these children spoke English as a second language and may not have understood the directions that were given. Teachers in three centers reported that getting the children to understand and follow directions was the hardest part of implementation. Another potential factor may be the age of participants, as the average age (3.5 years) was almost a year younger than previous studies. While the CATCH curriculum is designed for children age 3-5, children who are at the younger end of this range may have a more difficult time understanding the directions and performing the movements for each activity. In fact, many of the movements required, such a jumping on one foot and basic yoga, require coordination and balance that may not be developed in a three year old but should be present around four years of age. After implementation of the CATCH curriculum, children spent more time in teacher-guided physical activity. Despite this increase, average MET levels did not change when previous studies suggest that PA should increase during teacher-guided play. Teachers in all of the centers reported that the six week intervention period was not long enough to fully implement the program. The results of this research were shared with local and state daycare and Headstart program directors.
Impacts
Of the 48 children with signed parental consent forms, 47 (98%), participated in the study. Of those 47 children, 41 (87%) completed both the baseline and follow-up measures. The mean age of the participants was 3.54 years with a range of 3-5 years. Fifty-six percent of participating children were female. The mean BMI of participants was 16.3 kg/m� . Twelve percent of participants were overweight while 17% were obese. Thirty-nine percent of children were Caucasian, 20% were Somali Bantu, 7% were Somali, 20% were from other African countries while the rest of the children were from Southeast Asia and India. The average MET level per minute at baseline was 2.78 while the level at follow-up was 2.81(ns). At baseline the children were sedentary 65% of the time, engaged in moderate activity 31%, vigorous 3%, and very vigorous 0.16% of the time. At follow-up, 65% of the time was spent in sedentary, 31% moderate, 4% in vigorous, and 0.28% in very vigorous activity. Children spent significantly more time in free play at baseline compared to follow-up (87 vs. 60.5 minutes, p=0.007) and significantly more time in teacher guided physical activity at follow-up compared to baseline (53.88 vs. 28.7 minutes, p=0.0004). Eight Head Start teachers who were trained in the IM/IL approach completed the CEC training. During the intervention period, teachers from the 4 centers reported averaging one CATCH activity per day. Teachers stated that the curriculum was easy to follow and they also reported that the children were enthusiastic about the curriculum. In centers 1, 2, and 4, teachers believed that language barriers were the hardest part of the implementation process, followed by difficulty following directions due to the young age of the children and lack of space for the activities. Because of the many health implications associated with sedentary lifestyle and the rise of obesity, examining the ways to increase physical activity in preschoolers remains a critical area of research. We found that the CATCH curriculum may not be the most effective way of increasing the physical activity levels of Head Start children, but a longer period for implementation may alter this finding. Head Start teachers reported high level of satisfaction and efficacy in implementing this program compared to the current IM/IL approach. Preliminary evidence suggests that the current IM/IL approach is not facilitating high levels of physical activity in Head Start children. Because sedentary behavior is associated with a variety of health implications, including obesity, the Administration of Children and Families should investigate alternative programs which may be able to increase the PA levels in this population. Head Start teachers should be educated on the importance of increasing the physical activity levels of their students as well as the importance of at least 60 minutes of structured and 60 minutes of unstructured PA per day. While classroom size may be small, environments can be altered (through staff training, recreational equipment, and outdoor play) to successfully increase PA in Head Start children.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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