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Table 1 Descriptive information and group (accreditation vs. control) differences

From: The impact of new government childcare accreditation standards on children’s in-care physical activity and sedentary time

 

Baseline

Follow-up

Accreditation Group

Control Group

P-value

Accreditation Group

Control Group

P-value

Children’s characteristics

(n = 126)

(n = 126)

─

(n = 126)

(n = 126)

─

Age (years; M ± SD)a

(n = 126)

(n = 126)

─

(n = 126)

(n = 126)

─

3.1 ± 0.9

2.8 ± 0.6

0.003

3.7 ± 0.9

3.3 ± 0.7

< 0.002

Sex (%)b

(n = 126)

(n = 126)

─

(n = 126)

(n = 126)

─

 Male

55.6

46.8

0.166

─

─

─

 Female

44.4

53.2

─

─

─

Race/ethnicity (%)b

(n = 122)

(n = 124)

─

─

─

─

 Caucasian

43.4

61.3

0.005

─

─

─

 Other

56.6

38.7

─

─

─

 Missing data

(n = 4)

(n = 2)

─

─

─

─

Parental education (%)b

(n = 121)

(n = 121)

─

─

─

─

 Below bachelor level

52.1

20.7

< 0.001

─

─

─

 Bachelor’s degree

24.8

34.7

─

─

─

 Above bachelor level

23.1

44.6

─

─

─

 Missing data

(n = 5)

(n = 5)

─

─

─

─

Weather

(n = 11)

(n = 8)

─

(n = 11)

(n = 8)

─

Mean temperature (°C, M ± SD)a,c

−2.8 ± 5.6

−2.7 ± 5.3

0.983

9.2 ± 5.9

13.3 ± 3.7

0.103

Mean precipitation (mm, M ± SD)a

0.5 ± 0.8

2.3 ± 1.7

0.005

1.0 ± 1.3

3.2 ± 2.4

0.026

Childcare characteristics

(n = 11)

(n = 8)

─

(n = 11)

(n = 8)

─

MOVERS score (1–7; M ± SD)a

3.1 ± 1.0

3.8 ± 1.1

0.216

3.9 ± 0.8

4.2 ± 0.9

0.514

EPAO PA score (0–39; M ± SD)a

20.9 ± 2.2

21.8 ± 1.3

0.354

23.1 ± 3.10

23.6 ± 1.1

0.686

Educators’ characteristics

(n = 33)

(n = 39)

─

(n = 33)

(n = 39)

─

Age (Years; M ± SD)a

(n = 32)

(n = 36)

─

(n = 32)

(n = 36)

─

37.9 ± 11.4

37.1 ± 10.7

0.806

38.3 ± 11.4

37.7 ± 11.1

0.849

 Missing data

(n = 1)

(n = 3)

─

(n = 1)

(n = 3)

─

Sex (%)d

(n = 33)

(n = 39)

─

(n = 33)

(n = 39)

─

 Male

7.7

3.0

─

─

─

─

 Female

92.3

97.0

─

─

─

Race/ethnicity (n = 71)b

(n = 33)

(n = 38)

─

─

─

─

 Caucasian

72.7

50

0.051

─

─

─

 Other

27.3

50

─

─

─

 Missing data

─

(n = 1)

─

─

─

─

  1. Abbreviations: M Mean, SD Standard deviation, MOVERS Movement Environment Rating Scale, EPAO Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation, PA Physical activity
  2. Bold fonts indicate p < 0.05
  3. aMann-Whitney U Tests (child age, mean precipitation, educator age) and t-tests (mean temperature, MOVERS total score, EPAO PA score) were used to compare continuous data between accreditation and control groups at baseline and follow-up
  4. bChi-square tests were used to compare categorical data (child sex, child race/ethnicity, parental education, and educator race/ethnicity) between accreditation and control groups at baseline
  5. cMean temperature was significantly different between baseline and follow-up in the accreditation and control groups
  6. dIt was not possible to test for sex differences between groups because less than 5 educators were male in both groups (accreditation group: n = 1; control group: n = 3)
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BMC Public Health

ISSN: 1471-2458

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