Fit, Healthy and Smart Preschool Children: PREFIT-Chile

Overview

Introduction: Investigating the interrelationship between physical condition, non-invasive health markers and executive function in preschoolers, is based on the current health and cognitive development situation of this population, especially the low socioeconomic level. National figures estimate that the prevalence of overweight / obesity in the preschool population reaches 53.6%, exposing not only the development of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, but also affect cognitive potential. Physical condition is a powerful health marker independent of nutritional status. Its evaluation together with the evaluation of non-invasive health markers and executive function in preschoolers inside educational establishments is essential to investigate alterations at an early age that could be prevented with adequate interventions in schools. However, to achieve this, valid, reliable and comparable tools are needed internationally. Objective: to analyze the factors that affect the configuration of a diagnostic model which includes the physical fitness and physical activity levels, motor development, non-invasive risk factors and neuropsychological development in preschoolers. Methods: Observational study, case only, cross sectional. Enrollment 544 preschool child 4 to 5 years old. Primary Outcome is Physical fitness to "Prefit Battery", Secondary outcome non-invasive risk factors (Blood pressure, BMI, Waist circumference, neck circumference) Physical activity, Motor skills and Neuropsychological development. expected results: Determine the degree of association of physical fitness with non-invasive risk factors and neuropsychological development in preschoolers, determine the influence that physical activity level and motor development have on physical fitness and development a diagnostic model which includes the physical fitness and physical activity levels, motor development, non-invasive risk factors and neuropsychological development in Chilean preschoolers.

In recent years it has been demonstrated that physical fitness , which is linked to a higher level of physical activity has a positive effect on the health status of adults, adolescents and children, especially by lowering the probability of developing overweight and/or obesity. At the same time, recent research has shown that there is a positive relationship between fitness with brain structure and executive function in children. In Chile, overweight and obesity constitute a public health problem in children. National figures show that the prevalence of overweight / obesity among preschool children reached 53.6% in 2018 exposing the children not only the development of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases , but also affecting motor and cognitive development. Obesity has been shown to influence a country´s economic development, such as salary and productivity. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2017 determined that the health cost derived from obesity In Chile was equivalent to 0,2% of the national Gross Domestic Product. It is expected that by 2078, the estimated annual cost produced by an increasing prevalence overweight / obesity will be approximately 1 billion dollars. Because it is not economically viable in Chile to determine in every overweight/obese child the probability of developing chronic diseases later in life, it is of utmost importance to have valid, simple and reliable indicators to discriminate at an early age, children that are at greatest risk. In this respect, physical fitness appears as a powerful health marker independent of the nutritional status. Evaluation of fitness as well as that of non-invasive health markers, motor development and neuropsychological development in preschool children in schools, constitute an excellent opportunity to investigate at an early age, alterations that could be prevented with adequate interventions in schools that would probably be significantly less costly than interventions applied later on. To achieve this goal, valid and reliable tools have to be developed that are also comparable with similar ones developed elsewhere. With this background, The research objective is to analyze the factors that affect the configuration of a diagnostic model which includes the physical fitness and physical activity levels, motor development, non-invasive risk factors and neuropsychological development in preschoolers. The hypothesis is that there is a positive association between physical fitness, non-invasive health markers and neuropsychological functions in preschool children, thus enabling to generate a predictive diagnostic model based on physical fitness. 1. The primary outcome is to determine the degree of association of physical fitness with non-invasive risk factors and neuropsychological development in preschoolers 2. The second outcome is to determine the influence that physical activity level and motor development have on physical fitness among preschool children. This research aims a) to establish that physical fitness in preschool children may be considered as a diagnostic tool of the health status of children (independent of their nutritional status), and b) to determine the possible impact that the physical fitness level has on neuropsychological development