Background: To evaluate a multicomponent health promotion program targeting preschoolers’ physical activity (PA). Methods: PA of children from 23 German daycare facilities (DFs; 13 intervention DFs, 10 control DFs) was measured via accelerometry at baseline and after 12 months. Children’s sedentary time, light PA, and moderate to vigorous PA were estimated. Adherence was tracked with paper-and-pencil calendars. Mixed-model regression analyses were used to assess intervention effects. Results: PA data were analyzed from 183 (4.2 [0.8] y, 48.1% boys) children. At follow-up, children in DF groups with more than 50% adherence to PA intervention components showed an increase of 9 minutes of moderate to vigorous PA per day (β = 9.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.16 to 18.72) and a 19-minute decrease in sedentary time (β = −19.25; 95% CI, −43.66 to 5.16) compared with the control group, whereas children’s PA of those who were exposed to no or less than 50% adherence remained unchanged (moderate to vigorous PA: β = 0.34; 95% CI, −13.73 to 14.41; sedentary time: β = 1.78; 95% CI, −26.54 to 30.09). Notable effects were found in children with migration background. Conclusions: Only small benefits in PA outcomes were observed after 1 year. A minimum of 50% adherence to the intervention seems to be crucial for facilitating intervention effects.

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Background The failure to scale-up and implement physical activity (PA) interventions in real world contexts, which were previously successful under controlled conditions, may be attributed to the different criteria of stakeholders and scientists in the selection process of available interventions. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate and compare the criteria applied by local stakeholders and scientists for selecting amongst suitable school-based PA interventions for implementation. Methods We conducted a three-round repeated survey Delphi study with local stakeholders (n = 7; Bremen, Germany) and international scientific PA experts (n = 6). Independently for both panels, two rounds were utilized to develop a list of criteria and the definitions of criteria, followed by a prioritization of the criteria in the third round. For each panel, a narrative analysis was used to rank-order unique criteria, list the number of scorers for the unique criteria and synthesize criteria into overarching categories. Results The stakeholders developed a list of 53 unique criteria, synthesized into 11 categories with top-ranked criteria being ‘free of costs’, ‘longevity’ and ‘integration into everyday school life’. The scientists listed 35 unique criteria, synthesized into 7 categories with the top-ranked criteria being ‘efficacy’, ‘potential for reach’ and ‘feasibility’. The top ranked unique criteria in the stakeholder panel were distributed over many categories, whereas four out of the top six criteria in the scientist panel were related to ‘evidence’. Conclusions Although stakeholders and scientists identified similar criteria, major differences were disclosed in the prioritization of the criteria. We recommend an early collaboration of stakeholders and scientists in the design, implementation, and evaluation of PA interventions.

This study explored the relationship between motor abilities and accelerometer-derived measures of physical activity (PA) within preschool-aged children. A total of 193 children (101 girls, 4.2 ± 0.7 years) completed five tests to assess motor abilities, shuttle run (SR), standing long jump, lateral jumping, one-leg stand, and sit and reach. Four PA variables derived from 7-day wrist-worn GENEActiv accelerometers were analyzed including moderate to vigorous PA (in minutes), total PA (in minutes), percentage of total PA time in moderate to vigorous PA, and whether or not children met World Health Organization guidelines for PA. Linear regressions were conducted to explore associations between each PA variable (predictor) and motor ability (outcome). Models were adjusted for age, sex, height, parental education, time spent at sports clubs, and wear time. Models with percentage of total PA time in moderate to vigorous PA were adjusted for percentage of total PA time. Regression analyses indicated that no PA variables were associated with any of the motor abilities, but demographic factors such as age (e.g., SR: ß = −0.45; 95% confidence interval [−1.64, −0.66]), parental education (e.g., SR: ß = 0.25; 95% confidence interval [0.11, 1.87]), or sports club time (e.g., SR: ß = −0.08; 95% confidence interval [−0.98, 0.26]) showed substantial associations with motor abilities. Model strength varied depending on the PA variable and motor ability entered. Results demonstrate that total PA and meeting current PA guidelines may be of importance for motor ability development and should be investigated further. Other covariates showed stronger associations with motor abilities such as time spent at sports clubs and should be investigated in longitudinal settings to assess the associations with individual motor abilities.

IntroductionPhysical inactivity is known as a leading cause of mortality and tracks from childhood to adulthood. Many types of school-based single-component and multicomponent interventions to promote physical activity (PA) have been undertaken and evaluated, with mixed findings overall. Enlarging the intervention areas beyond the school setting is a promising approach. WHO’s Health Promoting School (WHO HPS) framework is a holistic, setting-based approach where health is promoted through the whole school environment with links to other settings such as the home environment and wider community. In this paper, we outline our scoping review protocol to systematically review the published literature from the last 10 years to identify existing school-based interventions to promote PA and cardiorespiratory fitness among children aged 6–10 years old and to map intervention components according to the features of this framework.Methods and analysisArksey and O’Malley’s scoping review methodology framework will guide the conduct of this review. We will search Medline, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Sports Medicine & Education Index, Education Resources Information Centre and CENTRAL and hand search the reference lists of key studies to identify studies appropriate for inclusion. Any empirical study that evaluated the effectiveness of a school-based intervention promoting PA and/or cardiorespiratory fitness in children aged 6–10 years old will be included. Two reviewers will independently screen all abstracts and full texts for inclusion. One reviewer will extract general information, study characteristics and intervention contents to classify them according to the features of the WHO HPS framework. Results will be synthesised narratively.Ethics and disseminationFindings will be disseminated in conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications. A condensed version of the results will be made available for the public. Stakeholder meetings will be arranged to discuss and disseminate the findings.