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Interviews were conducted with 16 elementary school teachers across Canada (eight generalists and eight physical education [PE] specialists) to explore their experiences when instructing PE. Questions were phrased to encourage exploration of the perspectives of generalists and specialists, with a particular focus on teaching philosophy, barriers faced while instructing PE, facilitators and resources that enhance PE instruction, and the teachers' self-efficacy when teaching PE. Generalists noted perceived lack of time, inadequate facilities and equipment, insufficient training, lack of knowledge, and low self-efficacy as barriers. Conversely, specialists noted that their advanced training, professional development opportunities, high self-efficacy, and technology use positively supported their teaching practices.

Early childhood educators (ECEs) are highly influential role models in the childcare setting with respect to encouraging physical activity and outdoor play, and minimizing sedentary behavior among children in childcare. Measuring ECEs' behavioral intention (BI) and perceived behavioral control (PBC) is one way to monitor their determination and ability to support these health behaviors. The ECE Movement Behavioral Intention and Perceived Control (ECE-MBIPC) questionnaire (56 items) was developed via expert consensus to fill the noted gap in tools used to measure these constructs among ECEs. A test-retest approach, via an online survey administered twice (1-week apart) was adopted to evaluate the reliability and factorial validity of the questionnaire with ECEs in Canada (n = 165). Cronbach's alpha and test-retest statistics were used to assess reliability, while exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to examine factorial validity. The ECE-MBIPC questionnaire demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.85 across subscales) and acceptable temporal stability (> 0.70). A seven-factor solution was proposed by the EFA, with each of the seven behaviors loading onto their own factor; this solution explained 71% of the variability in the data. As the first reliable and valid tool to measure ECEs' BI and PBC to promote physical activity and outdoor play and to minimize sedentary behavior in childcare, the ECE-MBIPC questionnaire will help to standardize the manner in which these psychosocial variables are measured in early years research.

Early childhood educators (ECEs) play a vital role in encouraging healthy physical activity (PA) in childcare. As such, measuring ECEs' self-efficacy to facilitate such programming is important. The "ECE Confidence in Outdoor Movement, PA, and Sedentary and Screen Behaviors" (ECE-COMPASS) questionnaire (30 items) was developed via expert consensus. A test-retest design was used to assess the reliability and validity of the questionnaire with 165 Canadian ECEs via an online survey administered twice, one week apart. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and test-retest statistics, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was employed to determine factorial validity. Internal consistency and factorial validity of a revised version of the tool (31 items) was also tested with 120 additional ECEs. The ECE-COMPASS questionnaire showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.90 across subscales) and modest temporal stability (test-retest statistics > 0.62). A two-factor solution was identified by the EFA for both versions of the tool, with the two-factor solution explaining 10% more variability within the revised version, compared with the original tool. The revised ECE-COMPASS questionnaire was found to be valid and reliable and is recommended for use to measure ECEs' self-efficacy to promote PA and outdoor play and minimize sedentary behaviors in childcare.

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures have interrupted the daily routines of parents and children. The purpose of this study was to explore parents' attitudes regarding their children's play/sport during COVID-19. A secondary objective was to explore the influence of parent demographics and parent-reported physical activity levels and risk tolerance on these attitudes. Ontario parents of children aged 12 and younger completed an online survey (August-December 2020) that assessed their attitudes (grouped by support, safety and socialization-related attitudes; n = 14 items) regarding their child(ren)'s play/sport, their physical activity levels (n = 2 items), and demographic details (n = 16 items). Two open-ended items were used to gather a deeper understanding of attitudes. Parents' tolerance for risk was measured via the validated Tolerance of Risk in Play Scale. Descriptive statistics were calculated to describe attitudes and risk tolerance. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator regressions were conducted to examine factors influencing parents' attitudes. Multiple linear models were computed using the identified predictors for each attitude category. Deductive content analysis was undertaken on open-ended responses. Participants (n = 819) reported the highest scores for safety-related attitude items (M = 3.54, SD = 0.63) followed by socialization and support, which all influenced attitudes regarding children's play/sport (p < 0.05). Demographics and parents' physical activity levels were identified as important predictors of parents' attitudes. Qualitative data revealed that parents had mixed levels of comfort with respect to their children's return to play/sport. Findings from this study reveal that increased support is needed to guide future play/sport decision-making.

Background: COVID-19 caused closures of movement supporting environments such as gyms and schools in Canada. This study evaluated the association between Ontario parents' and children's physical activity levels across time during COVID-19, controlling for variables that were identified as significant predictors of children's and parents' physical activity (e.g., children's age, parents' employment status). Methods: Parents (n = 243; mean age = 38.8 y) of children aged 12 and under (n = 408; mean age = 6.3 y) living in Ontario, Canada completed 2 online surveys, the first between August and December 2020 and the second between August and December 2021. At baseline, parents were asked to recall prepandemic physical activity levels. To determine the association between parent and child physical activity during COVID-19, a cross-lagged model was estimated to determine the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between parents' and children's physical activity across time. Results: Bivariate associations revealed that parents' and children's physical activity levels were significantly related during lockdown and postlockdown but not prelockdown. The autoregressive paths from prelockdown to during lockdown were significant for children (β = 0.53, P <.001) and parents (β = 1.058, P <.001) as were the autoregressive paths from during lockdown to postlockdown for children (β = 0.61, P <.001) and parents (β = 0.48, P <.001). In fully adjusted models, the cross-lagged association between parents' physical activity prelockdowns was significantly positively associated with their children's physical activity during lockdowns (β = 0.19, P =.013). Conclusions: Resources are needed to ensure that children and parents are obtaining sufficient levels of physical activity, particularly during a pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Childcare PhysicaL ActivitY (PLAY) policy was an evidence-informed, eight-item institutional-level policy document targeting children's physical activity, outdoor play, and sedentary time. Nine childcare centers in London, Ontario, participated in this cluster, randomized controlled trial. Early Childhood Educators allocated to the experimental group, from five childcare centers in London, Ontario, implemented the policy for young children (18 months to 4 years) for 8 weeks and documented adherence to each policy item (i.e., dose) in daily logs. Program evaluation surveys (n = 21) and interviews (n = 10) were completed postintervention to assess Early Childhood Educators' perspectives of feasibility, context, enjoyment, communication between researchers and childcare staff, and likelihood of future implementation. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and thematic analysis was conducted. Adherence to policy items ranged from 16.5% (for delivery of shorter, more frequent outdoor periods) to 85.9% (for delivery of unstructured/child-directed play). Participants reported effective communication between the research team and childcare centers (0 = "not at all effective" to 5 = "very effective"; M = 4.20; SD = 0.83) but noted that they were unlikely to continue the implementation of more frequent outdoor periods (0 = "not at all likely" to 5 = "extremely likely"; M = 2.19; SD = 1.21). Interview themes included weather as a prominent barrier and the use of verbal prompts as a solution for implementing the policy. As this was a small and short-term intervention, this pilot study offers important insight on larger scale policy interventions aimed at increasing physical activity and minimizing sedentary time among children enrolled in childcare.

Objectives: To understand experiences with and measure the effect of mobile standing desks (MSD) on undergraduates' sedentary time (ST). Participants: Two samples of full-time undergraduates in Fall 2018. Methods: Study 1 (n = 21): baseline average daily ST was measured via activPAL4[superscript TM] inclinometers and the NIGHTLY-WEEK-U questionnaire for 7 days. Participants received a MSD for one week then intervention ST was calculated. Study 2 (n = 28): baseline ST was measured with an online NIGHTLY-WEEK-U questionnaire, participants received a MSD for one month, then intervention ST was calculated. Paired-sample t-tests assessed differences. Interviews/online questions explored experiences. Results: Study 1: objectively measured (p = 0.0045, d = 0.71) and self-report (p = 0.0005, d = 0.92) ST reduced significantly post-intervention. Study 2: ST reduced significantly post-intervention (p = < 0.0001, d = 0.98). Facilitators and barriers to desk usage were described. p d p d p d Conclusions MSD were effective for reducing undergraduates' ST across one-week and one-month.

Educators strongly influence young children's behaviors, and their perspectives regarding physical activity (PA) and screen-viewing (SV) may influence their provision in childcare. This study gathered early childhood education (ECE) candidates' perspectives regarding: (1) the importance of their role(s) in promoting PA/reducing SV; (2) how their ECE program and personal PA may influence these perspectives; and (3) their interest in PA/SV training. An online survey was completed by 1,292 ECE candidates from 61 programs. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests explored these perspectives by PA/SV courses taken and by meeting the Canadian adult PA guideline. ECE candidates with PA-related training reported higher perceived importance (n=2 items; p<0.05*) and personal responsibility (n=4 items; p<0.05) for items related to teaching PA, compared to those without training. SV training was not reported to influence their perspectives. Candidates who reported meeting the PA guideline reported higher importance (n=3 items; p<0.05) and personal responsibility (n=3 items; p<0.05) for items related to promoting PA, than those not meeting the guidelines. Most candidates (77.5%-93.3%) showed interest in further PA/SV training. Findings underscore the benefit of PA-related training, and personal PA habits, with regard to positively influencing ECE candidates' values and perceptions of their role in promoting PA in childcare.

Early childhood educators' (ECEs) self-efficacy is often predictive of their ability and likelihood of promoting healthy activity behaviors in childcare settings. To date, ECEs' physical activity and sedentary behavior-related self-efficacy has been measured in a variety of ways in childcare-based research, creating difficulty when comparing across studies. To identify the different approaches ECEs' self-efficacy is assessed, the current study aimed to compare all existing tools that quantitatively measure physical activity and sedentary behavior-related self-efficacy of pre- and in-service ECEs. Seven online databases were searched for original, peer-reviewed, English-written journal articles. Articles were deemed eligible if they employed a tool which measured physical activity and/or sedentary behavior-related self-efficacy of pre- or in-service ECEs. A total of 16 studies were included in this review, and 13 unique tools were identified. All tools measured task self-efficacy (n = 13), while only 1 tool measured barrier self-efficacy, and approximately half of the tools (n = 7; 54%) reported on the validity and reliability. Great variability existed among the self-efficacy items included in the tools; however, common constructs included: teaching/leading physical activity, fundamental movement skill development, and physical activity programming. Very few tools mentioned sedentary behavior (n = 2) and outdoor/risky play (n = 2). Given the low number of studies that tested validity and reliability of their self-efficacy tools, the lack of consideration for barrier self-efficacy, and the paucity of tools that fully encompassed physical activity, sedentary behavior, and outdoor play considerations for ECEs, future research is needed to validate a new, reliable tool.

Purpose: We aimed to explore and compare generalist and physical education (PE) specialist (males and females) elementary teachers' self-efficacy to teach and the barriers perceived when teaching PE. Methods: Canadian elementary school teachers completed the validated online survey, Teacher Efficacy Scale in PE, with 11 additional questions examining the perceived strength of barriers related to teaching quality PE. Results: Specialist teachers' self-efficacy (n = 296) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of generalist teachers (n = 818). Gender was found to predict teachers' self-efficacy, with female generalists reporting the lowest scores on the Teacher Efficacy Scale in PE. There was a statistically significant difference between the perceived strength of nine out of the 11 listed barriers, with generalist teachers reporting barriers as more inhibitory than specialists. Discussion/Conclusion: This study highlights the gap between generalists' and specialists' self-efficacy to teach and the perceived barriers when teaching PE. Efforts specifically targeted to supporting female generalists teaching PE are necessary.

This study describes the process evaluation of the Supporting Physical Activity in the Childcare Environment (SPACE) intervention, consisting of educator physical activity training, provision of portable play equipment, and a modified outdoor schedule (i.e., 4 × 30-minute periods). Educators (N = 49) from 11 childcare centers in London, Ontario, Canada, delivered the 8-week intervention to 200 preschoolers (M[subscript age] = 3.38 years). Workshop attendance was documented while adherence to the outdoor schedule and number and timing of outdoor sessions offered (i.e., dose) were recorded in a daily log. Questionnaire-based program evaluation (n = 41) and in-person group interviews (n = 7) were completed postintervention to assess educator perspectives on the "barriers and facilitators" to implementation (i.e., "context"), the "feasibility" and "perceived effectiveness" of the intervention, educator and preschooler "enjoyment, communication" among researchers and childcare personnel, and the "future implementation" of the intervention. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and responses to open-ended questions were inductively coded. Educator workshop attendance was 96%, and 88% of classrooms adhered to the four daily outdoor periods. Educators delivered 90% of the scheduled outdoor sessions, and 87% of these met the 30-minute criteria. Educators expressed that the increase in number of transitions made the outdoor playtimes challenging to implement, yet rated the feasibility of the training and equipment as high. Educators perceived the intervention to be both enjoyable and effective at increasing preschoolers' physical activity. They indicated effective communication and revealed that they intended to continue to use their physical activity knowledge and to offer the play equipment once the intervention had concluded. These findings demonstrate that the SPACE intervention is viable in center-based childcare.

Purpose: Many young children spend a significant portion of time in center-based childcare settings; however, these children are often not sufficiently active during care. Promoting physical activity through policy implementation is one mechanism which has the potential to increase physical activity. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide an overview of physical activity policies implemented in childcare centers and determine their effect on children's physical activity. Methods: Electronic searches were conducted in CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Sports Medicine and Education Database. Two reviewers independently examined 3,286 articles to find peer-reviewed, original studies that assessed the impact of physical activity policies on children's physical activity. Random effects meta-analyses were used to determine the impact of policies. Results: A total of 13 articles met the inclusion criteria; in which 12 unique policies were implemented. Results of the meta-analyses suggest that introducing new physical activity policies did not increase children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA); however, compared to centers without a formalized physical activity policy, children in centers with a formalized policy engaged in significantly more MVPA and total physical activity. Conclusions: Introducing new physical activity policies alone may not be sufficient to increase children's engagement in physical activity, and it may be important to combine with capacity-building initiatives for childcare staff and early childhood educators. Results reinforce the value of childcare centers implementing their own formalized physical activity policies to support children's physical activity, which highlights the importance of regulating physical activity practices in childcare. Registration: CRD42022326037. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Physical activity (PA) is often used to support the development of young children (<5 years) with disabilities. The effectiveness of PA as an occupational therapy (OT) treatment approach in this population has not yet been systematically examined. This research aimed to explore the uses and effectiveness of OT PA interventions on developmental indicators in young children with developmental disabilities. A systematic review of peer-reviewed publications (from 2000 onward) across six electronic databases was conducted. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework was used to assess study quality. Narrative synthesis (vote counting and structured reporting of effects) was employed to summarize the findings. Eight studies with heterogenous interventions were included. Evidence demonstrated positive trends of participation in the PA interventions on physical, cognitive, and social-emotional indicators, with significance varying. There was no association between interventions and communication indicators or negative effects related to participation in the interventions. Overall, the studies were low-quality when judged by GRADE. PA may be a promising avenue for OT interventions among young children with developmental disabilities. Rigorous research is needed to determine the magnitude of effect PA has on developmental indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]