Examining Relationships among Chinese Preschool Children's Meeting 24-Hour Movement Guidelines and Fundamental Movement Skills

Abstract

Background: Few studies have investigated associations between meeting 24-Hour Movement Guidelines and preschool children’s fundamental movement skills (FMS). This study aimed to investigate the associations between Chinese preschoolers meeting various combinations of the Guidelines and FMS, as well as examining gender differences across those outcomes. Methods: A total of 322 preschool children (181 boys and 141 girls) aged 3−6 years old were recruited from five early-childhood education and care services in China. Children’s 7-day physical activity (PA) was assessed using accelerometry, and screen time (ST) and sleep duration were reported by their parents. FMS were assessed by Test of Gross Motor Development 3. Descriptive statistics and gender differences in children’s meeting the Guidelines and FMS were calculated using t-tests for continuous variables and Chi-square tests for categorical variables. Results: Most preschoolers met the sleep and ST guidelines, but only 22.3% met the PA guidelines; 4% of preschoolers did not meet any of the recommendations, while 9.3% met all three recommendations. Boys reported significantly higher compliance with all combined recommendations. There were positive associations between meeting the PA guidelines and both locomotor (β = 0.49; p < 0.001) and object control skills (β = 0.21; p < 0.001). A significantly positive relationship was identified between meeting PA + sleep guidelines and locomotor skills (β = −0.16; p = 0.02). A significantly negative association was observed between preschoolers’ meeting sleep + ST guidelines and locomotor skills (β = 0.31; p = 0.001). Conclusion: Few preschoolers met all three movement behavior guidelines. The findings suggest that PA levels, especially MVPA, are important for the promotion of FMS. Meanwhile, the impacts of ST and sleep on motor development cannot be neglected.

Keywords: locomotor skills; object control skills; physical activity; screen time; sleep duration.

Figure 1

Venn diagram showing the proportion (%) of participants meeting 24-Hour Movement Guidelines separately and in all possible combinations. The sum of each circle is equivalent to the % meeting each individual recommendation (i.e., 22.3% for physical activity, 90.7% for sleep, 50.7% for ST, 4% for non-compliance in the full study sample). (a) Venn diagram for all the sample. (b) Venn diagram for boys. (c) Venn diagram for girls.

Figure 1

Venn diagram showing the proportion (%) of participants meeting 24-Hour Movement Guidelines separately and in all possible combinations. The sum of each circle is equivalent to the % meeting each individual recommendation (i.e., 22.3% for physical activity, 90.7% for sleep, 50.7% for ST, 4% for non-compliance in the full study sample). (a) Venn diagram for all the sample. (b) Venn diagram for boys. (c) Venn diagram for girls.

Figure 2

Structural model of the association of the combinations of 24-Hour Movement Behavior Guidelines that were met and fundamental movement skills in preschoolers. (PASTSL = physical activity + screen time + sleep; PAST = physical activity + screen time; PASL = physical activity + sleep time; STSL = screen time + sleep time; LOC = locomotor skills; OCS = object control skills). Colored with red line indicates significant positive relationship; Colored with blue line indicates significant negative relationship.