Evaluation of Physical Activity, Sedentary Patterns, and Lifestyle Behavior in Spanish Preschool Children from the CORALS Cohort

Abstract Background Physical activity (PA) and sedentary lifestyle are recognized as modifiable risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Healthy habits in early childhood tend to persist throughout life. This study aims to evaluate the physical activity and sedentary behavior patterns in a cohort...

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Main Authors: Jose Manuel Jurado-Castro, Belén Pastor-Villaescusa, Cristina Castro-Collado, Mercedes Gil-Campos, Rosaura Leis, Nancy Babio, Luis A. Moreno, Santiago Navas-Carretero, Olga Portolés, Ana Moreira Echeverría, Maria Jose De La Torre-Aguilar, Rosaura Picáns-Leis, Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Pilar de Miguel-Etayo, Katherine Flores-Rojas, Rocío Vázquez-Cobela, Júlia Valero Sales, Maria L. Miguel-Berges, Isabel Izquierdo-López, Carlos Gómez-Martínez, Diana Paola Córdoba-Rodríguez, Gisela Mimbrero, Francisco Jesus Llorente-Cantarero, on behalf of the CORAL Study investigators
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-06-01
Series:Sports Medicine - Open
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-025-00865-2
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author Jose Manuel Jurado-Castro
Belén Pastor-Villaescusa
Cristina Castro-Collado
Mercedes Gil-Campos
Rosaura Leis
Nancy Babio
Luis A. Moreno
Santiago Navas-Carretero
Olga Portolés
Ana Moreira Echeverría
Maria Jose De La Torre-Aguilar
Rosaura Picáns-Leis
Jordi Salas-Salvadó
Pilar de Miguel-Etayo
Katherine Flores-Rojas
Rocío Vázquez-Cobela
Júlia Valero Sales
Maria L. Miguel-Berges
Isabel Izquierdo-López
Carlos Gómez-Martínez
Diana Paola Córdoba-Rodríguez
Gisela Mimbrero
Francisco Jesus Llorente-Cantarero
on behalf of the CORAL Study investigators
author_facet Jose Manuel Jurado-Castro
Belén Pastor-Villaescusa
Cristina Castro-Collado
Mercedes Gil-Campos
Rosaura Leis
Nancy Babio
Luis A. Moreno
Santiago Navas-Carretero
Olga Portolés
Ana Moreira Echeverría
Maria Jose De La Torre-Aguilar
Rosaura Picáns-Leis
Jordi Salas-Salvadó
Pilar de Miguel-Etayo
Katherine Flores-Rojas
Rocío Vázquez-Cobela
Júlia Valero Sales
Maria L. Miguel-Berges
Isabel Izquierdo-López
Carlos Gómez-Martínez
Diana Paola Córdoba-Rodríguez
Gisela Mimbrero
Francisco Jesus Llorente-Cantarero
on behalf of the CORAL Study investigators
author_sort Jose Manuel Jurado-Castro
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Physical activity (PA) and sedentary lifestyle are recognized as modifiable risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Healthy habits in early childhood tend to persist throughout life. This study aims to evaluate the physical activity and sedentary behavior patterns in a cohort of Spanish preschool children using device-based measures, and compare these patterns by sex. This study analyzed a sample of 643 preschoolers aged 3–6 years with valid accelerometry data from the Childhood Obesity Risk Assessment Longitudinal Study (CORALS) cohort (NCT06317883; May 30, 2024). Results 67% of preschoolers met the international PA recommendations, with 72.1 min of moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA) per day. Boys exhibited higher levels of MVPA than girls, and MVPA increased with age in both groups. Sedentary time was higher on weekends, and boys spent more time watching TV than girls. Involvement in extracurricular sports was reported by 67.5% of children, with boys showing a greater engagement in outdoor activities. Conclusions A relevant proportion of Spanish preschool children meet the international PA recommendations, with variations based on sex, age, and day of the week, reflecting global trends at this stage of life. Future interventions should address sex-specific preferences and age-related changes to enhance the effectiveness of promoting active lifestyles in this population.
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spelling doaj-art-fa2c487bb56346e8acb0e7b9c37a0eb52025-08-20T02:06:28ZengSpringerOpenSports Medicine - Open2198-97612025-06-0111111410.1186/s40798-025-00865-2Evaluation of Physical Activity, Sedentary Patterns, and Lifestyle Behavior in Spanish Preschool Children from the CORALS CohortJose Manuel Jurado-Castro0Belén Pastor-Villaescusa1Cristina Castro-Collado2Mercedes Gil-Campos3Rosaura Leis4Nancy Babio5Luis A. Moreno6Santiago Navas-Carretero7Olga Portolés8Ana Moreira Echeverría9Maria Jose De La Torre-Aguilar10Rosaura Picáns-Leis11Jordi Salas-Salvadó12Pilar de Miguel-Etayo13Katherine Flores-Rojas14Rocío Vázquez-Cobela15Júlia Valero Sales16Maria L. Miguel-Berges17Isabel Izquierdo-López18Carlos Gómez-Martínez19Diana Paola Córdoba-Rodríguez20Gisela Mimbrero21Francisco Jesus Llorente-Cantarero22on behalf of the CORAL Study investigatorsConsorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)University of Cordoba. Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Metabolism and Investigation Unit, Reina Sofia University Hospital.University of Cordoba. Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Metabolism and Investigation Unit, Reina Sofia University Hospital.Consorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)Consorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)Consorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)Consorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)Consorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)Consorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)Consorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)University of Cordoba. Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Metabolism and Investigation Unit, Reina Sofia University Hospital.Neonatology Service, RICORS-SAMID-CIBERER, University Clinical Hospital of Santiago de Compostela, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS)Consorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)Consorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)University of Cordoba. Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Metabolism and Investigation Unit, Reina Sofia University Hospital.Consorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia. Grup de Recerca en Nutrició, Alimentació, Creixement i Salut MentalConsorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)Unit of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Pediatric Service, Santiago University Clinical HospitalConsorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)Departamento de Nutrición y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad JaverianaUniversitat Rovira i Virgili, Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia. Grup de Recerca en Nutrició, Alimentació, Creixement i Salut MentalConsorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)Abstract Background Physical activity (PA) and sedentary lifestyle are recognized as modifiable risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Healthy habits in early childhood tend to persist throughout life. This study aims to evaluate the physical activity and sedentary behavior patterns in a cohort of Spanish preschool children using device-based measures, and compare these patterns by sex. This study analyzed a sample of 643 preschoolers aged 3–6 years with valid accelerometry data from the Childhood Obesity Risk Assessment Longitudinal Study (CORALS) cohort (NCT06317883; May 30, 2024). Results 67% of preschoolers met the international PA recommendations, with 72.1 min of moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA) per day. Boys exhibited higher levels of MVPA than girls, and MVPA increased with age in both groups. Sedentary time was higher on weekends, and boys spent more time watching TV than girls. Involvement in extracurricular sports was reported by 67.5% of children, with boys showing a greater engagement in outdoor activities. Conclusions A relevant proportion of Spanish preschool children meet the international PA recommendations, with variations based on sex, age, and day of the week, reflecting global trends at this stage of life. Future interventions should address sex-specific preferences and age-related changes to enhance the effectiveness of promoting active lifestyles in this population.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-025-00865-2Child24-h movementLifestylePhysical activitySedentary behavior
spellingShingle Jose Manuel Jurado-Castro
Belén Pastor-Villaescusa
Cristina Castro-Collado
Mercedes Gil-Campos
Rosaura Leis
Nancy Babio
Luis A. Moreno
Santiago Navas-Carretero
Olga Portolés
Ana Moreira Echeverría
Maria Jose De La Torre-Aguilar
Rosaura Picáns-Leis
Jordi Salas-Salvadó
Pilar de Miguel-Etayo
Katherine Flores-Rojas
Rocío Vázquez-Cobela
Júlia Valero Sales
Maria L. Miguel-Berges
Isabel Izquierdo-López
Carlos Gómez-Martínez
Diana Paola Córdoba-Rodríguez
Gisela Mimbrero
Francisco Jesus Llorente-Cantarero
on behalf of the CORAL Study investigators
Evaluation of Physical Activity, Sedentary Patterns, and Lifestyle Behavior in Spanish Preschool Children from the CORALS Cohort
Sports Medicine - Open
Child
24-h movement
Lifestyle
Physical activity
Sedentary behavior
title Evaluation of Physical Activity, Sedentary Patterns, and Lifestyle Behavior in Spanish Preschool Children from the CORALS Cohort
title_full Evaluation of Physical Activity, Sedentary Patterns, and Lifestyle Behavior in Spanish Preschool Children from the CORALS Cohort
title_fullStr Evaluation of Physical Activity, Sedentary Patterns, and Lifestyle Behavior in Spanish Preschool Children from the CORALS Cohort
title_full_unstemmed Evaluation of Physical Activity, Sedentary Patterns, and Lifestyle Behavior in Spanish Preschool Children from the CORALS Cohort
title_short Evaluation of Physical Activity, Sedentary Patterns, and Lifestyle Behavior in Spanish Preschool Children from the CORALS Cohort
title_sort evaluation of physical activity sedentary patterns and lifestyle behavior in spanish preschool children from the corals cohort
topic Child
24-h movement
Lifestyle
Physical activity
Sedentary behavior
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-025-00865-2
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