title: Physical activity in children attending preschools.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify correlates of objectively measured moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in children during preschool attendance.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study included data from 426 apparently healthy Danish children (49.5% boys), 5 to 6 years of age enrolled in 42 randomly selected preschools. The percentage of time spent in MVPA (≥ 574 counts/15 second) during preschool attendance was measured using ActiGraph accelerometers over 4.3 preschool days in May and June in 2009. Thirty-seven potential correlates across the child, preschool staff, and preschool environment domains were tested for associations with MVPA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final multivariate model identified 9 significant correlates of MVPA. Preterm birth, vegetation on the playground, and rainy days were negatively associated with MVPA, whereas child motor coordination, location of preschool building on the playground, gender (boys), percentage afternoon hours, and size of indoor area per child were positively associated with MVPA. The direction of the significant association with the parental mean education level was unclear.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We identified a number of new modifiable correlates of MVPA during preschool attendance. The positive association with size of indoor area per child and location of the preschool building on the playground seem important correlates to be targeted in future studies.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Research in Childhood Health, Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, 55 Campusvej, Odense M, 5230, Denmark. lgoelsen@health.sdu.dk.
authors.forename: Line Groenholt
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Olesen
authors.forename: Peter Lund
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Korsholm
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Froberg
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: environment design; motor activity; play; playthings; preschool child