title: Physical Activity Pattern of Malaysian Preschoolers: Environment, Barriers, and Motivators for Active Play.
abstract: Children's physical activity has been correlated with child characteristics and social or physical environment. This study aimed to compare preschoolers' physical activity among various sociodemographic characteristics and to determine barriers, motivators, and environmental factors for active play. A total of 835 preschoolers were included in this analysis. Time spent on active play, quiet play, and screen time was reported by parents. Boys spent significantly more time on active play and screen time than girls. Time spent on quiet play was highest in East Coast Peninsular Malaysia and lowest in Sarawak. Some 40% of children achieved active play recommendation while 27% exceeded daily screen time recommendation. Most parents reported that their child played actively in the house area; and that the main barrier and motivator to active play were safety and child's enjoyment, respectively. These findings demonstrate that sociodemographic characteristics and environment should be considered in designing physical activity intervention programs.
authors.affiliation: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Shoo Thien
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia wjeiin@ukm.edu.my.
authors.forename: Jyh Eiin
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Wei Wen
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.affiliation: Taylor's University Lakeside Campus, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohd Noor
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Consultant, Langkawi, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deurenberg
authors.affiliation: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Bee Koon
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Poh
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003201:Computers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004777:Environment; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000523:psychology*; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012449:Safety; D012737:Sex Factors; D013690:Television / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: active play; barriers; motivators; physical activity; preschoolers; quiet play; screen time; sociodemography