Grant: Operating Grant

The preschool years are a period of growth for which we know the least about the impact of physical activity. Since society has traditionally thought of little kids as "active enough", important questions regarding physical activity and health in preschoolers have gone unanswered. Because Canada is facing a childhood obesity epidemic, there has never been a greater need to understand how physical activity during the early years is related to health. If we do not fill this gap in our knowledge, it will be impossible to develop evidence-based policies to promote physical activity for preschoolers. The goal of our study is to measure physical activity in preschoolers and determine how activity levels relate to key health outcomes, including body composition (obesity), how well blood vessels work (heart health), fitness levels, and information related to quality of life. To know if active preschoolers are really healthier preschoolers as they grow up, we will make these assessments in 408 children ages 3 to 5 years (equal number of boys and girls) who will be tested once per year for 3 years, until the 3-year-olds are 5 and the 5-year-olds are 7. Since preschool children are still developing movement skills, we will also test their ability to perform basic movement skills at each yearly assessment along with their parents' beliefs about physical activity for their preschooler - two pieces of information that could be used to help influence preschooler physical activity. In preparation for this study, we have adapted existing tests and even developed new ones for use with preschoolers, and our research team is involved in several initiatives related to physical activity for preschoolers including the possibility of developing physical activity guidelines. Canada could be a leader in this area. Our study will provide the evidence to create public policies that work and optimize the spending of precious public funds for physical activity promotion during the early years.