title: The Swiss Preschoolers' health study (SPLASHY): objectives and design of a prospective multi-site cohort study assessing psychological and physiological health in young children.
abstract: Children's psychological and physiological health can be summarized as the child's thinking, feeling, behaving, eating, growing, and moving. Children's psychological and physiological health conditions are influenced by today's life challenges: Thus, stress exposure and lack of physical activity represent important health challenges in older children. However, corresponding evidence for young children is scarce. The aim of Swiss Preschoolers' Health Study (SPLASHY) is to examine the role of stress and physical activity on children's psychological and physiological health, particularly on cognitive functioning, psychological well-being, adiposity and motor skills in children at an early stage of childhood. We will also assess the role of child and environmental characteristics and aim to define sensitive time points.
  
  
  
  In a total of 84 child care centers, children at preschool age (2-6 years) are recruited and are assessed immediately and one year later. Assessments include direct measurements of the children in the child care centers and at home as well as assessments of children's behavior and environmental factors through informants (parents and child care educators).
  
  
  
  SPLASHY is one of the first studies in early childhood aiming to investigate the influence of stress and physical activity on children's psychological and physiological health in a community-based longitudinal design.
  
  
  
  Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN41045021 (date of registration: 21.03.14).
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Service, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland. nadine.messerli@unifr.ch.|Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland. nadine.messerli@unifr.ch.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Messerli-Bürgy
authors.affiliation: Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.|Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tanja H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kakebeeke
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Service, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Amar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arhab
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stülb
authors.affiliation: Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Annina E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Zysset
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Claudia S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Leeger-Aschmann
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Einat A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Schmutz
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Service, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Fady
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fares
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andrea H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Munsch
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Susi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kriemler
authors.affiliation: Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.|Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Oskar G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Jenni
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Service, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.|Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology and Obesity, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jardena J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Puder
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D000067576:Child Health; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003071:Cognition; D004777:Environment; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009048:Motor Skills; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D013557:Switzerland
keywords: Child; Cognition; Development; Health; Longitudinal; Motor skill; Physical activity; Preschool; Psychology; Stress