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Table 1 Overview of the general characteristics examining the ecological view in the childcare settings, and findings regarding the interaction between childcare environmental factors and child characteristics

From: The next step in health behavior research: the need for ecological moderation analyses - an application to diet and physical activity at childcare

Study

Sample

Study type

Predictors

 

Outcome variable

Associations

  
   

Environmental factors

Child charac-teristics

 

Direct environmen-tal effects

Indication interaction effects

Interaction effects

Boldemann et al., 2006 [29]

* N = 197

Obs.

1. Physical environment:

* Gender

* Average step count.

1a: +

Subgroup analyses

* Gender:

* 4–6 y

 a. Environment category (outdoors)

* Assessed by pedometers

1b: 0

1a: F: 0, M: +

* 11 preschools

 b. Indoor space

* Sweden

2. Political environment:

* Indoors and outdoors together

2a: +

 a. Outdoor education

Cardon et al., 2008 [31]

* N = 783

Obs.

1. Physical environment:

* Gender

* Average step count

Not assessed (only subgroup analyses reported)

Subgroup analyses

* Gender:

1c: F: 0, M: −

* 4–5 y,

 a. Aiming equipment

* Assessed by pedometer

2a: F: −-, M: −

2b: F: −, M: 0

av. = 5.3 y

 b. Playing equipment

(3a: F: −, M: − )

* 39 preschools

 c. Soft ground surface

* Outdoors

* Belgium

 d. Markings

 e. Vegetation

 f. Height differences

 g. Toys

2. Social environment:

 a. Children/m2

 b. Number of supervisors

3. Political environment:

 a. Recess duration

Gubbels et al., 2011 [25]

* N = 175

Obs.

1. Physical environment:

* Gender

* Average PA intensity level

1a: + (I/O)

Moderation analyses and post-hoc analyses

* Gender:

2a: 0

2a (I): F: −, M: 0

 a. Sum score activity opportunities (EPAO)

* Age

* Assessed by observation (OSRAC-P)

2b: + (O)

2a (O): F: 0, M: +

* 2–3 y, av. = 2.6 y

2. Social environment:

2c: 0

2b (I): F: −, M: 0

* 9 childcare centers

 a. PA discouraging prompts peers

2d: + (I/O)

2b(O):F: +, M: ++

* Netherlands

 b. PA promoting prompts peers

* Indoors (I) and outdoors (O) separately

2e: − (I/O)

* Age:

2f: − (I)

2e (O): 2y: 0, 3y: −

 c. PA discouraging prompts supervisors

2f (I): 2y: −-, 3y: −

 d. PA promoting prompts supervisors

 e. Group size peers

 f. Group size supervisors

Hannon & Brown, 2008 [27]

* N = 64

Int.

 Physical environment

* Gender

* Time spent at PA intensity levels (sedentary, light, moderate, vigorous)

Intervention effect: +

Moderation analyses and post-hoc analyses

* Age:

Moderate Activity: 3y:+++, 4y:++, 5y:+

* 3–5 y

Activity-friendly playground intervention, providing children with various physical activity facilities/equipments (e.g. hurdles, hoops, tunnels, balance beams, balls)

* Age

* 1 preschool

* Assessed by accelerometer

Vigorous Activity: 3y:+, 4y:+, 5y:++

* Outdoors

* USA

McKenzie et al., 1997 [49]

* N = 287

Obs.

None (outcome variable comprises both environmental characteristic (PA prompt) and physical activity)

* Gender

* Compliance (increasing/maintaining MVPA) to PA prompts.

+ (prevalence compliance to PA prompts is 89.5%)

Subgroup analyses

* Gender:

* av. age = 4.4 y

* 63 preschools

* USA

F: ++, M: +

* Ethnicity (European-American vs. Mexican-American)

* Assessed by observation.

* Outdoors

Van Cauwenberghe et al., 2012 [53]

* N = 128

Int.

Physical environment

* Gender

* Time spent at PA intensity levels (sedentary, LMVPA, MVPA.).

+

Subgroup analyses

* Gender:

* 4–6 y,

 

Play space per child

F: ++, M: +

av. = 5.1 y

* 4 preschools

* Belgium

* Assessed by accelerometer

* Outdoors

Zuercher & Kranz, 2012 [43]

* N = 54

Int.

Physical environment

* Age

* Dietary fiber intake

+

Subgroup analyses

* Age:

2-3y: ++, 4-5y: +

* Assessed by plate weighing

Availability of high fiber lunch items

* 2-5 y

* 1 childcare center

* USA

  1. + = positive association, − = negative association, 0 = no association. ++ vs. + and -- vs. - = stronger pos/neg. association.
  2. Abbreviations: av., Average; EPAO, Environment and Policy Assessment Observation[80]; F, Female; I, Indoor; int., Intervention study; LMVPA, Light, Moderate and Vigorous Physical Activity; M, Male; MVPA, Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity; neg., Negative; O, Outdoor; obs., Observational study; OSRAC-P, Observation System for Recording Physical Activity in Children – Preschool version[81]; PA, Physical activity; pos., Positive; y, Years old.