Physical activity in kindergarten, fundamental movement skills, and screen time in Spanish preschool children

Abstract

Schools have been postulated as ideal environments toencourage physical activity (PA). This study aimed to assessthe relationship between PA in school hours, motor compe-tence, and screen time in a sample of Spanish preschoolchildren. Fifty‐seven 4–5‐year‐old preschoolers (n = 32 girls)participated. The Garmin Vivofit wristband was used tomeasure the PA levels during school hours in a week.Sedentary behavior was estimated through screen‐time hoursreported by preschoolers' families and motor competence wasassessed by the Athletic Skills Track. The anthropometry(weight/height) and demographic data were also collected. Wefound that motor competence was significantly associated withPA both in minutes and in steps. Therefore, increased motorcompetence was related to higher engagement in PA duringschool hours. No association was found between screen timeand PA or proficiency of motor competence. No genderdifferences were found in any variable assessed. Based on therelationship between motor competence proficiency and theamount of PA in preschool children, our findings support theneed for specific strategies to promote fundamental movementskills and increase PA practice from early childhood