Survey of regular physical activity and socioeconomic status in Hungarian preschool children

Background
The sporting habits of parents have a very strong effect on the involvement of preschoolers in sports.

Objectives
The aim of the study was to evaluate the physical activity (PA) of preschool children depending on their socioeconomic status and to determine the relationship between body mass and sporting habits.

Material and methods
The research sample consisted of 252 Hungarian children (134 boys and 118 girls) of preschool age and their parents. A questionnaire was developed based on EU guidelines and it was used to evaluate PA and sporting habits.

Results
A correlation was found between sporting habits and the percentile values of Body Mass Index by age. The survey showed that 86.5% of the children falling into the underweight category and 81.3% of those with normal weight were regularly involved in sports with their parents; these values were significantly higher than those of their overweight counterparts, of whom only 66.2% did sports with their parents (chi² = 9.8, p = 0.028). Furthermore, 59.5% of underweight children and 63.3% of those with normal weight reported that their parents were involved in sports, while in the case of overweight children, this was observed in only 43.1% of parents (chi² = 7.68, p < 0.05). Most of the children who were underweight or had normal weight did sports with their parents 2 to 3 times a week or more than 3 times a week (chi² = 28.7, p = 0.000).

Conclusions
The physical activity of preschool children was low. Obesity was more likely to occur in families with lower incomes. The development of educational programs for children, their families, preschool teachers, family doctors and pediatricians is needed to promote healthy diets and encourage more frequent physical activity.