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Background: Environmental factors influence children's development. However, their impact on outdoor play among children from international settings remains understudied. This study examined associations between parent perceptions of environmental factors and outdoor play among an international sample of preschool-aged children., Methods: Data were sourced from the pilot phases of the SUNRISE International Study of Movement Behaviors in the Early Years. Parents completed a questionnaire about their child's outdoor play and environmental factors that influenced their child's participation in outdoor play in the past 3 days., Results: 1855 children from 19 countries (16 low- and middle-income countries) were examined. Heat (-25.6; 95% CI, -44.6 to -6.6), cold (-26.9; 95% CI, -45.9 to -8.4), and rain (-24.8; 95% CI, -43.3 to -6.6) were negatively associated with weekday outdoor play. Cold (-41.2; 95% CI, -62.4 to -20.0) and social instability (-40.7; 95% CI, -61.5 to -20.3) were negatively associated with weekend outdoor play. Playing at friend's or relative's homes (29.5 [95% CI, 18.6 to 40.5]; 37.9 [25.6 to 50.4]), greenspaces (23.1 [95% CI, 9.6 to 36.6]; 30.4 [95% CI, 15.1 to 45.8]), and on the street (41.4 [95% CI, 26.9 to 55.7]; 34.9 [95% CI, 18.2 to 51.3]) were associated with weekday and weekend day outdoor play, respectively. Playing on the family's property was also associated with weekend day outdoor play (25.5 [95% CI, 18.2 to 51.3])., Conclusions: The environmental context is important to consider when developing interventions to promote outdoor play in young children across diverse international settings. Future research from representative populations is needed to confirm these findings.

Background: This study examined the proportion of Iranian children who met the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years. Additionally, it investigated the feasibility and acceptability of the methods to be used in the SUNRISE study., Methods: This pilot study was conducted among 83 children aged 3 and 4 years in preschools and health care centres in Iran, in 2022. Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep (ActiGraph wGT3x-BT); fine and gross motor skills (validated activities); and executive functions (the Early Years Toolbox) were assessed., Results: Only four (4.8%) children met all recommendations of the WHO guidelines. The proportion of children who met MVPA, TPA, screen time, restrained sitting and sleep were 44.6%, 38.6%, 19.3%, 38.6% and 65.1%, respectively. Fifty-two (62.6%) children wore the ActiGraph for at least three full days. A total of 97.6%, 95.1% and 91.5% of children completed anthropometric, EF and motor skill assessments, respectively., Conclusion: This pilot study was feasible and acceptable among Iranian children. Regarding the low proportion of children who met the WHO guidelines, it is recommended that long-term and practical strategies be developed to promote healthier lifestyles among preschool children in Iran., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)