Preschoolers Active at Child Care (PACT) (PACT)

Experimental: Active Play (AP)

This arm received the Active Play curriculum intervention (described in following section).

Conductual: Active Play (AP)

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.

Experimental: Outdoor Play (OP)

This arm received the Outdoor Play curriculum intervention (described in following section).

Conductual: Outdoor Play (OP)

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.

Pre to post change in preschoolers Physical Activity

Physical Activity levels measured by actigraphy monitors

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.

pre to post Teacher Physical Activity

Physical Activity levels measured by actigraphy monitors