title: Physical activity levels among children attending family day care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To objectively measure the physical activity (PA) levels of children attending family day care programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 114 children from 47 family day care centers wore an accelerometer for the duration of their time in care. Time in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and total PA was calculated using previously validated cut points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children accumulated 5.8 ± 3.2 minutes of MVPA and 10.4 ± 4.4 minutes of total PA per hour of attendance. Boys exhibited significantly higher levels of PA than girls. Among healthy weight children, 4- and 5-year-olds exhibited significantly higher levels of PA than 2- and 3-year-olds. Overweight and obese 4- and 5-year-olds exhibited significantly lower levels of PA than their healthy weight counterparts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children attending family day care participate in low levels of PA during the child care day. The results highlight the need for effective programs to promote PA in family day care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Activity, Health, and Wellness, Eastern Oregon University, OR.
authors.forename: Kelly R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.affiliation: School of Human Movement Studies, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: s.trost@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Stewart G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Trost
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry; D002656:Child Day Care Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity; D010988:Play and Playthings; D057185:Sedentary Behavior
keywords: accelerometry; active play; preschool; sedentary behavior