Effectiveness Of A Preschool-Based Exercise Intervention On Physical Activity, Motor Performance, Body-Mass-Index And Blood Pressure: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

TY - JOUR

T1 - Effectiveness Of A Preschool-Based Exercise Intervention On Physical Activity, Motor Performance, Body-Mass-Index And Blood Pressure: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

AU - Hacke, Claudia

AU - Ketelhut, Sascha

AU - Ulrike, Wendt

AU - Müller, Götz

AU - Schlesner, Claudia

AU - Ketelhut, Kerstin

PY - 2017/6

Y1 - 2017/6

N2 - PURPOSE: Beneficial effects of physical activity interventions on health are well described for adults and adolescents. However, the impact in early childhood is understudied.The present study set out to investigate the effectiveness of an exercise intervention on activity level, motor performance, BMI and peripheral and central blood pressure (BP) in 3-6 years old preschoolers, with emphasis on social background. METHODS: A 6-months cluster-randomized controlled trial including a 45min/biweekly supervised exercise program was conducted in 3 intervention and 2 control daycare centers in Hamburg, Germany. A total of 135 children (IG=92, CG=43; 4.8±0.8 years) completed the trial with baseline and follow-up data on BMI, activity level (time during leisure-time and in organised sports) and motor performance (z-scores of 4 test items assessing flexibility, coordination, power, speed). Peripheral and central BP were measured with a brachial cuff-based oscillometric device. Maternal education (high vs. low) was used as an indicator for social background. We applied linear mixed models with random intercepts for daycare center to evaluate differences in mean change adjusted for baseline value of the outcome, age, sex and height. RESULTS: No significant differences in mean change, comparing the intervention to the control group, could be detected on weekly activity level (-24.7 min; 95%CI:-55.9,6.4), motor performance (-0.1;-0.7,0.6), BMI-percentile (1.3;-14.9,17.6), pBP (1.0 mm Hg;-1.9,3.9/1.7 mm Hg;-0.5,4.0) or cBP (1.8 mm Hg;-1.7,5.2/1.8 mm Hg;-0.4,4.1). However, subgroup analyses revealed a stronger intervention effect in children of low vs. high social status in terms of a lower increase in systolic pBP (-3.5 mm Hg;-6.9,-0.1;P=0.045) and cBP (-3.7 mm Hg;-6.5,-0.9;P=0.010), whereas BP change did not differ within the control group. CONCLUSION: In preschool children, we found no evidence for effectiveness of a 6-months multifaceted exercise program on physical activity, motor performance, BMI or BP. However, the results of this study indicate that children from lower social backgrounds benefit more from early exercise-promoting interventions. Implementation fidelity, intervention period and sample size are key issues that should be addressed in further trials to provide definitive evidence.

AB - PURPOSE: Beneficial effects of physical activity interventions on health are well described for adults and adolescents. However, the impact in early childhood is understudied.The present study set out to investigate the effectiveness of an exercise intervention on activity level, motor performance, BMI and peripheral and central blood pressure (BP) in 3-6 years old preschoolers, with emphasis on social background. METHODS: A 6-months cluster-randomized controlled trial including a 45min/biweekly supervised exercise program was conducted in 3 intervention and 2 control daycare centers in Hamburg, Germany. A total of 135 children (IG=92, CG=43; 4.8±0.8 years) completed the trial with baseline and follow-up data on BMI, activity level (time during leisure-time and in organised sports) and motor performance (z-scores of 4 test items assessing flexibility, coordination, power, speed). Peripheral and central BP were measured with a brachial cuff-based oscillometric device. Maternal education (high vs. low) was used as an indicator for social background. We applied linear mixed models with random intercepts for daycare center to evaluate differences in mean change adjusted for baseline value of the outcome, age, sex and height. RESULTS: No significant differences in mean change, comparing the intervention to the control group, could be detected on weekly activity level (-24.7 min; 95%CI:-55.9,6.4), motor performance (-0.1;-0.7,0.6), BMI-percentile (1.3;-14.9,17.6), pBP (1.0 mm Hg;-1.9,3.9/1.7 mm Hg;-0.5,4.0) or cBP (1.8 mm Hg;-1.7,5.2/1.8 mm Hg;-0.4,4.1). However, subgroup analyses revealed a stronger intervention effect in children of low vs. high social status in terms of a lower increase in systolic pBP (-3.5 mm Hg;-6.9,-0.1;P=0.045) and cBP (-3.7 mm Hg;-6.5,-0.9;P=0.010), whereas BP change did not differ within the control group. CONCLUSION: In preschool children, we found no evidence for effectiveness of a 6-months multifaceted exercise program on physical activity, motor performance, BMI or BP. However, the results of this study indicate that children from lower social backgrounds benefit more from early exercise-promoting interventions. Implementation fidelity, intervention period and sample size are key issues that should be addressed in further trials to provide definitive evidence.

U2 - 10.1249/01.mss.0000517384.79408.91

DO - 10.1249/01.mss.0000517384.79408.91

M3 - Conference abstract in journal

VL - 49

SP - 199

JO - MED SCI SPORT EXER

JF - MED SCI SPORT EXER

SN - 0195-9131

IS - 5S

ER -