Abstract
The incidence of childhood obesity is documented in early learning settings in the United States and globally, and research on the causes and ramifications of childhood obesity is increasing. However, few studies focus on the voices of young children related to their direct experiences and perceptions of physical activity and healthy nutrition choices in early learning and home settings. This chapter focuses on a mixed methods study of four young children in order to gain a greater understanding of the daily routines of 4–7 year-olds related to nutrition and physical activity (Stegelin D, Anderson D, Kemper K, Wagner J, Evans K, Early Childhood Educ J, 42(2):133–142, 2014). The settings selected for this study included Head Start, primary, and after-school learning environments in a mid-sized city in the southeast. Specifically, this exploratory and observational study of a subset and representative sample of 4–7 year olds in community-based early learning settings focused on the following research question: What are typical daily physical activity and nutrition patterns in community-based early learning settings for young children 4–7 years of age in the United States? Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected, including an observational tool that consisted of a running record of child behavior combined with a time-sampling checklist. In this chapter the daily routines of 4–7 year old children are described, and these observations shed important insight into the daily physical activity and nutrition routines in typical community-based early learning settings in the U. S. Implications for research and practices in Head Start, public school, after-school, and other early learning settings related to daily routines, levels of physical activity, restrictions to movement and play, and food choices are described.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Administration for Children and Families. (2010). Efforts to meet children’s physical activity and nutritional needs: Findings from the I am moving, I am learning implementation evaluation. M. K. Fox, K. Hallgren, K. Boller, and A. Turner. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Anderson, S., & Whitaker, R. (2010). Household routines and obesity in US preschool-aged children. Pediatrics, 125(3), 420–428.
Birch, L. L., & Ventura, A. K. (2009). Preventing childhood obesity: What works? International Journal of Obesity, 33(1), 574–581.
Brown, W. H., Pfeiffer, K. A., McIver, K. L., Dowda, M., Addy, C. L., & Pate, R. R. (2009). Social and environmental factors associated with preschoolers’ nonsedentary physical activity. Child Development, 80(1), 45–58.
Castelli, D. M., Carson, R. L., & Kulinna, P. H. (2014). Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 33(4), 435–439.
Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Davis, C. L., Tomporowski, P. D., McDowell, J. E., Austin, B. P., Miller, P. H., Yanasak, N. E., … Naglieri, J. A. (2011). Exercise improves executive function and achievement and altars brain activation in overweight children: A randomized, controlled trial. Healthy Psychology, 30(1), 91–98.
Dunton, G., McConnell, R., Jerrett, M., Wolch, J., Lam, C., Gilliland, M., & Berhane, K. (2012). Organized physical activity in young school children and subsequent 4-year change in body mass index. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 166(8), 713–718.
F as in Fat. (2010). How obesity threatens America’s future. Issue report. Trust for America’s health. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Retrieved December 18, 2010, from www.healthyamericans.org
Gelman, S. A. (2009). Learning from others: Children’s construction of concepts. Annual Review of Psychology, 60(1), 115–140.
Goodway, J. D., & Branta, C. F. (2003). Influence of a motor skill intervention on fundamental motor skill development of disadvantaged preschool children. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 74(1), 36–46.
Goodway, J. D., & Robinson, L. E. (2006). SKIPing toward an active start: Promoting physical activity in preschoolers. Beyond the Journal: Young Children, 61, 1–6.
Mission Readiness. (2009). Ready, Willing and Unable to Serve, Report by Mission: Readiness, Military Leaders for Kids. Retrieved December 18, 2010, from www.missionreadiness.org
Moore, L. L., Nguyen, U. S. D. T., Rothman, K. J., Cupples, L. A., & Ellison, R. C. (1995). Preschool physical-activity level and change in body fatness in young children – The Framingham Childrens Study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 142(9), 982–988.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, DHHS. (2006). The NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD). Findings for children up to age 4 ½ years (05-4318). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Naylor, P. J., Macdonald, H. M., Zebedee, J. A., Reed, K. E., & McKay, H. A. (2006). Lessons learned from action schools! BC—An ‘active school’ model to promote physical activity in elementary schools. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 9, 413–423.
Reed, K. E., Warburton, D. E. R., Macdonald, H. M., Naylor, P. J., & McKay, H. A. (2008). Action schools! BC: A school-based physical activity intervention designed to decrease cardiovascular disease risk factors in children. Preventive Medicine, 46(6), 525–531.
Schwartz, M. B., & Puhl, R. (2003). Childhood obesity: A societal problem to solve. Obesity Reviews, 4(1), 56–71.
Stegelin, D., Anderson, D., Kemper, K., Wagner, J., & Evans, K. (2014). Exploring daily physical activity and nutrition patterns in early learning settings: Snapshots of young children in head start, primary, and after-school settings. Early Childhood Education Journal, 42(2), 133–142.
Sypsa, C., & Simons, J. (2008). Questionnaires measuring the physical self children: A review. European Psychomotricity Journal, 1(2), 61–72.
Taras, H. (2005). Physical activity and student performance at school. Journal of School Health, 75(6), 214–218.
Tomporowski, P. D., Davis, C. L., Miller, P. H., & Naglieri, J. A. (2008). Exercise and children’s intelligence, cognition, and academic achievement. Educational Psychology Review, 20(2), 111–131.
Vale, S., Santos, R., Soares-Miranda, L., Moreira, C, Ruiz, J., & Silva Mota, J. (2010). Objectively measured physical activity and body mass index in preschool children. International Journal of Pediatrics, 2010, Article ID 479439, 6 pages, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1155/2010/479439
Worobey, J., & Worobey, H. S. (2014). Body-size stigmatization by preschool girls: In a doll’s world, it is good to be “Barbie”. Body Image, 11, 171–174.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Stegelin, D.A., Anderson, D., Kemper, K., Woods, J.Y., Evans, K. (2018). Exploring Daily Physical Activity and Nutrition Patterns in Early Learning Settings: Observational Snapshots of Young Children in Head Start, Primary, and After-School Settings. In: Brewer, H., Renck Jalongo, M. (eds) Physical Activity and Health Promotion in the Early Years. Educating the Young Child, vol 14. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76006-3_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76006-3_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-76004-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-76006-3
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)