Physical activity practices and environments of child care centers in Georgia

Introduction: The child care (CC) environment is an important setting for obesity prevention, however little is known about the physical activity (PA) practices in centers. This study assessed the PA environment of 37 CC centers in Georgia. Methods: The Environment and Policy Assessment Observation (EPAO) examined PA practices and environments of 37 CC centers. Scores (out of 20) were computed for eight domains and daily means and frequencies were calculated. Results: The following scores were found for: active play (12.16), sedentary behavior (14.86) and environment (11.89), portable (12.05) and fixed environments (9.19), staff behavior (15.14), PA training and education (9.67), and PA policies (20.00). On average, daily PA minutes observed were: active (64), structured (19), outdoor (46), and sedentary (107). Three centers did not have structured activity; five did not have outdoor play time. Nineteen centers had children seated for more than 30 minutes at a time; TV viewing was observed in 7 centers. No posters, pictures or books depicting PA were observed in 19 centers. The outdoor space of 18 centers was unobstructed with plenty of space for group games. The indoor space of 19 centers was suitable for limited movement. PA education was not observed in 33 centers and documented PA curricula were not observed in 17 centers. Conclusion: Though all centers had PA policies, centers had room for improvement in structured and active play for children, time children spent seated, TV presence and viewing, the availability of PA equipment, adequate space to be active, and PA education.