Allana LeBlanc (Research Coordinator) and Dr. Mark Tremblay (Director) co-authored two systematic reviews papers that were published in the current issue of Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism and which informed the Physical Activity Guidelines and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for the early years (0-4 years) released earlier this year. Citation details for the papers can be found below.
A.G. LeBlanc, J.C. Spence, V. Carson, S. Connor Gorber, C. Dillman, I. Janssen, M.E. Kho, J. Stearns, B.W. Timmons, M.S. Tremblay. Systematic review of sedentary behaviour and health indicators in the early years (aged 0-4 years). Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism 37:753-772, 2012.
ABSTRACT: Accumulating evidence suggests that young children spend excessive time being sedentary. The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the relationship between sedentary behaviours and health indicators during the early years (ages 0–4 years). Using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework, this review aimed to present the best available evidence on the threshold of sedentary behaviour associated with healthy measures of adiposity, bone health, motor skill development, psychosocial health, cognitive development, and cardiometabolic health indicators in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Online databases, personal libraries, and government documents were searched for relevant studies. Studies that included an intervention (or experimental) group or prospective analysis were included. Twenty-one unique studies, representing 23 papers and 22 417 participants, met inclusion criteria; 7 studies included information on infants, 13 on toddlers, and 10 on preschoolers. Of these, 11, 6, and 8 studies reported data on adiposity, psychosocial health, and cognitive development, respectively. No included study reported on motor skill development, bone, or cardiometabolic health indicators. In conclusion, this review found low- to moderate-quality evidence to suggest that increased television viewing is associated with unfavourable measures of adiposity and decreased scores on measures of psychosocial health and cognitive development. No evidence existed to indicate that television viewing is beneficial for improving psychosocial health or cognitive development. In several instances a dose–response relationship was evident between increased time spent watching television and decreased psychosocial health or cognitive development. This work may be used as evidence to inform public health guidelines.
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B.W. Timmons, A.G. LeBlanc, V. Carson, S. Connor Gorber, C. Dillman, I. Janssen, M.E. Kho, J.C. Spence, J. Stearns, M.S. Tremblay. Systematic review of physical activity and health in the early years (aged 0-4 years). Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism 37:773-792, 2012.
ABSTRACT: The early years represent a critical period for promoting physical activity. However, the amount of physical activity needed for healthy growth and development is not clear. Using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework, we aimed to present the best available evidence to determine the relationship between physical activity and measures of adiposity, bone and skeletal health, motor skill development, psychosocial health, cognitive development, and cardiometabolic health indicators in infants (1 month – 1 year), toddlers (1.1–3.0 years), and preschoolers (3.1–4.9 years). Online databases, personal libraries, and government documents were searched for relevant studies. Twenty-two articles, representing 18 unique studies and 12 742 enrolled participants, met inclusion criteria. The health indicators of interest were adiposity (n = 11), bone and skeletal health (n = 2), motor development (n = 4), psychosocial health (n = 3), cognitive development (n = 1), and cardiometabolic health indicators (n = 3); these indicators were pre-specified by an expert panel. Five unique studies involved infants, 2 involved toddlers, and 11 involved preschoolers. In infants, there was low- to moderate-quality evidence to suggest that increased or higher physical activity was positively associated with improved measures of adiposity, motor skill development, and cognitive development. In toddlers, there was moderate-quality evidence to suggest that increased or higher physical activity was positively associated with bone and skeletal health. In preschoolers, there was low- to high-quality evidence on the relationship between increased or higher physical activity and improved measures of adiposity, motor skill development, psychosocial health, and cardiometabolic health indicators. There was no serious inconsistency in any of the studies reviewed. This evidence can help to inform public health guidelines.
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