Study | Sample | Study type | Predictors | Â | Outcome variable | Associations | Â | Â |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  | 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 |