Evaluating Interventions to Increase Physical Activity in Preschool Children With and Without Disabilities

Abstract

Obesity is a worldwide problem occurring at earlier and earlier ages. Although obesity is a complex problem with multiple contributing factors, one potential component that may be relatively easy for educators to impact is the amount of physical activity children engage in during the school day. Currently, studies show that many preschool-aged children with and without disabilities are not reaching the recommended daily guidelines for physical activity. This study investigated two ways to increase physical activity during recess for 15 preschoolers - 8 with disabilities, 7 without - using an alternating treatment design. Effects of teacher directed activities and increased presence of playground materials on physical activity levels were evaluated using an Actigraph© accelerometer and observational data was recorded using a modified version of the Observational System for Recording Activity in Children - Preschool Version (OSRAC-P). Results showed that both interventions were effective in increasing moderate to vigorous (MVPA) physical and decreasing sedentary activity for most participants. Individual results as well as group comparisons are discussed.