Preschoolers Active at Child Care (PACT)

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The aim of this study was to develop, test, and compare two approaches to increasing physical activity (PA) and decreasing sedentary time among young children at child care centers, one which focused on a teacher-led PA curriculum (AP=Active Play!) and the other on increasing outdoor free play time (OP=Outdoor Play!).

Detailed Description
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This was a matched pair cluster-randomized study in 10 child care centers. One classroom in each pair received either AP or OP, and their providers received a condition-specific 3-hour workshop. Pre- and post-intervention data were collected from classroom observation and accelerometers. Additional information about teachers' attitudes and practices was collected via pre-intervention survey.

Official Title
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Preschoolers Active at Child Care

Conditions
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Physical Activity

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Active Play (AP)
* Behavioral: Outdoor Play (OP)


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Teachers/Staff be a teacher/staff member in a participating childcare center Students be 3 - 5 years old be a full day student in the classroom where data collection was occurring Exclusion Criteria: -

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 3 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Other
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: 10 childcare centers were cluster-randomized to receive either a physical activity or outdoor free play curriculum.
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Active Play (AP)<br>This arm received the Active Play curriculum intervention (described in following section). | Behavioral: Active Play (AP)<br>* This intervention focused on promoting PA in preschoolers through structured, teacher-led activities that could be incorporated into daily curriculum. Teachers attended a 3-hour workshop that included presentation and discussion of 1) the importance of daily physical activity for children's health and development, 2) teachers' beliefs and barriers to promoting PA, and 3) the Active Play! Intervention materials. Teachers were introduced to and given the Active Play! Fun Physical Activities for Young Children Book and Digital Video Disk (DVD), which promotes PA and fundamental movement skills in young children. Clips of the DVD demonstrating various activities were shown and activities were modeled. Examples of activities include jumping on bubble wrap, hula hoop limbo and an indoor obstacle course. The end of the book has a suggested curriculum that teachers could follow. Centers in the Active Play! intervention also received a set of portable toys needed for the suggested activities.<br>|
| Experimental: Outdoor Play (OP)<br>This arm received the Outdoor Play curriculum intervention (described in following section). | Behavioral: Outdoor Play (OP)<br>* This intervention focused on promoting outdoor time in preschoolers as a means to increasing their PA, using both child initiated and teacher-led activities. The training and materials were designed to emphasize the teacher's own connection with nature, the benefits of outdoor time for children and adults, and problem solving around barriers encountered. Teachers at participating centers attended one 3-hour workshop (delivered at the childcare center) that focused on having participants recognize their own connection with the natural world and how to transmit that to the next generation. Teachers were given hats and gloves for themselves, a set of rain jackets and boots for the preschoolers, and ideas on what children could do outdoors to be active.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pre to post change in preschoolers Physical Activity | Physical Activity levels measured by actigraphy monitors | baseline and 12 weeks after intervention | 
| Pre to post change in Physical Activity Opportunities | Minutes where students could be physically active by observation (RA observed and wrote down times for when children were engaged in various activities and categorized them as active play opportunities or non active play opportunities. Total minutes in each category were calculated. | baseline and 12 weeks after intervention | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| pre to post Teacher Physical Activity | Physical Activity levels measured by actigraphy monitors | baseline and 12 weeks after intervention |