Assessing options for the measurement of movement behaviours of pre-school children at scale

Abstract

A recent paradigm shift suggests that the components of movement behaviour (physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep) of pre-school children, which are important for child health, should be examined collectively rather than in isolation. Furthermore, there is evidence of inequalities of these behaviours, which in turn impacts on inequalities in child health. The validity, reliability, and feasibility of existing measurement tools for assessing movement behaviour in pre-school children is unclear. The aim of this doctoral research was to develop a measurement tool for public health purposes (thus a proxy reported tool) which assesses the movement behaviours of pre-school aged children.
Critical reviews of the existing literature found that there are currently no valid, reliable, and feasible measurement tools to assess movement behaviours in pre-school children. These reviews highlighted the need to address this gap in knowledge by developing a novel proxy reported measurement tool that is feasible and acceptable, as well as valid and reliable, for assessing movement behaviours of pre-school aged children.
Focus groups with parents and carers of pre-school children from deprived areas in the UK provided qualitative insights on the acceptability and feasibility of existing measurement tools, including their views on the presentation of proxy reported tools (e.g. age appropriate activities, preference for real-time recording over recall). These parents and carers also co-developed a novel measurement tool ‘Movement Measurement in the Early Years’ (MoveMEY), alongside input from topic expert researchers.
Working with a different group of pre-school children and their parents and carers, MoveMEY was pilot tested to determine the content validity of the tool. The tool was found to comprise of relevant items, be comprehensive of children’s movement behaviours, and understandable to parents.
MoveMEY is a promising tool for the measurement of all components of movement behaviours in pre-school children and is ready for further validation.