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Promoting physical activity through active school commuting in preschoolers: insights and implications

Authors

RAMOS MUNELL, JAVIER, Campos-Garzon, Pablo , Chillon, Palma , del Pozo-Cruz, Jesus

External publication

No

Means

J. Public Health-Heidelberg

Scope

Article

Nature

Científica

JCR Quartile

SJR Quartile

Publication date

19/12/2024

ISI

001379990800001

Abstract

AimThe purpose of this research was to analyze the levels of physical activity in preschoolers, focusing on how their mode of transportation to and from school impacted their activity levels.Subject and methodsThis study has a cross-sectional design, and it was conducted under the umbrella of the SUNRISE-Andaluc & iacute;a project. Preschool children were studied using accelerometers and GPS devices to measure their daily physical activity. The modes of transportation assessed included walking, multimodal transport (a combination of walking and other forms of transport), and motorized vehicles. Physical activity was broken down into categories: sedentary time, light physical activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. A series of mixed model analyses were used to analyze differences in sedentary time and physical activity levels according to the mode of commuting to/from pre-school.ResultsThe study found that preschoolers who walked to and from school exhibited less sedentary behavior and engaged in more light physical activity throughout the day compared to those who used multimodal transport or motorized vehicles. However, no significant differences in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were observed between the different transportation methods.ConclusionThese findings highlight the importance of encouraging active transportation, such as walking, to promote higher physical activity levels in preschoolers. Enhancing these levels can positively impact their health and overall development, making active transport a valuable component of daily routines.

Keywords

Physical activity; Active commuting; Preschoolers; Accelerometer; GPS

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