title: Correlates of preschool children's objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behavior: a cross-sectional analysis of the SPLASHY study.
abstract: Identifying ways to promote physical activity and decrease sedentary time during childhood is a key public health issue. Research on the putative influences on preschool children's physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) is limited and has yielded inconsistent results. Our aim was to identify correlates of PA and SB in preschool children.
  
  
  
  Cross-sectional data were drawn from the Swiss Preschoolers' Health Study (SPLASHY), a Swiss population-based cohort study. Of 476 two to six year old children, 394 (54% boys) had valid PA data assessed by accelerometry. Information on exposure data was directly measured or extracted from parental questionnaires. Multilevel linear regression modeling was used to separately assess associations between 35 potential correlates and total PA (TPA), moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and SB.
  
  
  
  In total, 12 correlates from different domains were identified. TPA and MVPA were greater in boys than girls, increased with age and were positively associated with gross motor skills. Children from single parent families had a higher level of TPA and spent less time sedentary than those living with two parents. Time spent outdoors was positively associated with TPA and negatively with SB. The child's activity temperament was related all three outcomes, whereas parental sports club membership, living area per person and neighborhood safety were associated with SB only. Fixed and random factors in the final models accounted for 28%, 32% and 22% of the total variance in TPA, MVPA and SB, respectively. Variance decomposition revealed that age, sex and activity temperament were the most influential correlates of both, TPA and MVPA, whereas the child's activity temperament, time outdoors and neighborhood safety were identified as the most important correlates of SB.
  
  
  
  A multidimensional set of correlates of young children's activity behavior has been identified. Personal factors had the greatest influence on PA, whereas environmental-level factors had the greatest influence on SB. Moreover, we identified a number of previously unreported, potentially modifiable correlates of young children's PA and SB. These factors could serve to define target groups or become valuable targets for change in future interventions.
  
  
  
  Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN41045021 (date of registration: 21.03.14).
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Hirschengraben 84, 8001, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Einat A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Schmutz
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Hirschengraben 84, 8001, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Claudia S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Leeger-Aschmann
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Hirschengraben 84, 8001, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Radtke
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Hirschengraben 84, 8001, Zurich, Switzerland.|Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muff
authors.affiliation: Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.|Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tanja H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kakebeeke
authors.affiliation: Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Annina E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Zysset
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Fribourg, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Rue PA de Faucigny 2, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.|Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Service, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Avenue Pierre Decker 2, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Messerli-Bürgy
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Fribourg, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Rue PA de Faucigny 2, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stülb
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Service, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Avenue Pierre Decker 2, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Amar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arhab
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Basel, Missionsstrasse 62A, 4055, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andrea H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Fribourg, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Rue PA de Faucigny 2, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Munsch
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Service, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Avenue Pierre Decker 2, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland.|Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology and Obesity, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Rue du Bugnon 46, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jardena J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Puder
authors.affiliation: Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.|Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Oskar G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Jenni
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Hirschengraben 84, 8001, Zurich, Switzerland. susi.kriemlerwiget@uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Susi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kriemler
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D010290:Parents; D010551:Personality; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012737:Sex Factors; D013177:Sports; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland
keywords: Children; Correlates; Physical activity; Preschool; SPLASHY; Sedentary behavior