Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the objective evaluation
of preschool children＇s physical activity (PA) levels and subjective evaluation by their parents and
nursery school teachers. The participants in the objective evaluation were 214 preschool children.
The measures of objective PA, including step counts and time spent in light physical activity (LPA)
and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), were measured using a triaxial accelerometer
for 7 consecutive days. The participants in the subjective evaluation were 214 parents and 16
nursery school teachers of the preschool children. Subjective PA was assessed by a questionnaire
completed by the parents and teachers that comprised 4 categories (＂very active,＂ ＂active,＂ ＂hardly active,＂ and ＂inactive＂). We examined the differences in children＇s step counts, LPA, and MVPA according to their subjective evaluations on weekdays and weekends.
On weekdays, the children who were perceived as ＂very active＂ and ＂active＂ by parents
and teachers spent significantly more time in MVPA compared to those who were perceived as
＂inactive.＂ Thus, we observed a correlation between the subjective evaluations by parents and
teachers and the objective PA levels that were measured using the triaxial accelerometer. These
findings suggest that parents and teachers could effectively detect the children＇s objective PA level, mainly on weekdays. The teachers＇ evaluations were more strongly correlated with the objective evaluations, indicating that they could evaluate the children＇s PA level relatively well. In addition, the parents and teachers evaluated the children＇s PA by primarily focusing on their high intensity activities.
