title: Relationship between time use in physical activity and gross motor performance of preschool children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Participation in physical activity is an important health concern for children in most Western communities, but little is known about Asian children's participation. The purpose of this study was to extend the current knowledge on how much time preschool children in Taiwan spend on physical activity, to examine its relationship with gross motor performance and to provide information on the establishment of physical activity guidelines for preschool children in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and sixty-four children between 36 and 71 months old were recruited from a university medical centre and from preschools in Taiwan. The primary outcomes were measured using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition and the modified Preschool-aged Children's Physical Activity Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  89.8% of our participants did not meet the recommendations from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education for time spent in physical activities. Participants spent an average of 155 minutes/week in low intensity physical activity. Children with motor difficulties tended to spend less time on physical activity than did typically developing children. The mother's level of education and whether the child was overweight or obese correlated with how much time the children spent on physical activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that paediatric occupational therapists should explain to parents the relationship between physical activity and motor development and advocate for developmentally positive physical activities for preschool children. Physical activity guidelines for Taiwanese preschoolers should be established immediately.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.|Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ling-Yi
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1438-0820
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.|Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Rong-Ju
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Cherng
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yung-Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004522:Educational Status; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013624:Taiwan; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: motor performance; obesity; overweight; physical activity; preschool