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Meta-Analysis
. 2023 Apr 26;20(1):52.
doi: 10.1186/s12966-023-01450-0.

Adherence to the World Health Organization's physical activity recommendation in preschool-aged children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of accelerometer studies

Matthew Bourke  1 , Ameena Haddara  2 , Aidan Loh  2 , Valerie Carson  3 , Becky Breau  4 , Patricia Tucker  2   5
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Adherence to the World Health Organization's physical activity recommendation in preschool-aged children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of accelerometer studies

Matthew Bourke et al. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. .

Abstract

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommend that preschool-aged children should engage in 180 min of total physical activity (TPA) including 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) each day. No systematic reviews or meta-analyses have pooled adherence to the recommendation across multiple studies. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of preschool-aged children achieving the WHO's physical activity recommendation for young children, and determine if the prevalence differed between boys and girls.

Methods: Primary literature searches were conducted on six online databases and a machine learning assisted systematic review was used to identify relevant studies. Studies written in English reporting on the prevalence of children aged 3-5 years achieving overall WHO physical activity recommendation or the individual TPA or MVPA aspects of the recommendation measured using accelerometers were eligible for inclusion. Random effects meta-analysis was used to determine the prevalence of preschools achieving the overall WHO recommendation and the individual TPA and MVPA aspect of the recommendation, and to determine difference in prevalence between boys and girls.

Results: Forty-eight studies reporting on 20,078 preschool-aged children met the inclusion criteria. Based on the most commonly employed accelerometer cut-points across all aspects of the recommendation, 60% (95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 37%, 79%) of preschool-aged children adhered to the overall physical activity recommendation, 78% (95% CI = 38%, 95%) adhered to the TPA aspect of the recommendation, and 90% (95% CI = 81%, 95%) adhered to the MVPA aspect of the recommendation. There was substantial variability is prevalence estimates between different accelerometer cut-points. Girls were significantly less likely to achieve the overall recommendation and the MVPA aspect of the recommendation than boys were.

Conclusions: Although there was substantial variability in estimated prevalence of preschool-aged children adhering the WHO physical activity recommendation between various accelerometer cut-points, the weight of available evidence suggests that the majority of young children are adhering to the overall recommendation and the individual TPA and MVPA aspects of the recommendation. Large-scale, intercontinental surveillance studies are needed to further strengthen the evidence regarding the prevalence of preschool-aged children achieving physical activity recommendation globally.

Keywords: Child; Exercise; Movement; Preschool; meta-analysis.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flowchart
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Forest plot of studies reporting on the prevalence of preschool-aged children achieving the total physical activity aspect of the physical activity recommendation. CI = confidence interval. * A continuity correction of one was added to the total to ensure that the maximum likelihood could be estimated
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Forest plot of studies reporting on the prevalence on preschool-aged children achieving the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity aspect of the recommendation. CI = confidence interval
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Forest plot of studies reporting on the prevalence on preschool-aged children achieving the overall physical activity recommendation. CI = confidence interval
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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