Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26842502›Full record

Trial reportBMC public health2016

Supporting Physical Activity in the Childcare Environment (SPACE): rationale and study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Patricia Tucker, Shauna M Burke, Anca Gaston, Jennifer D Irwin, Andrew M Johnson, Brian W Timmons, Leigh M Vanderloo, Molly Driediger

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC public health, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 20 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Interventions to prevent obesity in children aged 2 to 4 years old.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Trial
  5. Trial
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Patricia TuckerSchool of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, 1201 Western Road, Elborn College, Room 2547, London, ON, N6G 1H1, Canada. ttucker2@uwo.ca.
Shauna M BurkeSchool of Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. sburke9@uwo.ca.
Anca GastonSchool of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. ancagaston@gmail.com.
Jennifer D IrwinSchool of Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. jenirwin@uwo.ca.
Andrew M JohnsonSchool of Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. ajohnson@uwo.ca.
Brian W TimmonsDepartment of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. timmonbw@mcmaster.ca.
Leigh M VanderlooHealth and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. lvande32@uwo.ca.
Molly DriedigerSchool of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, 1201 Western Road, Elborn College, Room 2547, London, ON, N6G 1H1, Canada. mdriedig@uwo.ca.
Western University · CAMcMaster University · CA

Funding

Canadian Institutes of Health Research 133559
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundYoung children are prone to low levels of physical activity in childcare. Researchers have identified that preschoolers tend to be more active outdoors than indoors, with higher activity levels occurring during the first 10 minutes of outdoor playtime. Additionally, interventions incorporating either staff training or the inclusion of play equipment have been effective at increasing children's activity in this setting. As such, the overarching objective of the Supporting Physical Activity in the Childcare Environment (SPACE) intervention is to improve the physical activity levels of preschoolers during childcare hours, utilizing a combination of the above components. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a detailed account of the protocol, innovative methods, and evaluation plans used in the implementation of the SPACE study; in an effort to support the development of further research in this field. METHODS/

designThe SPACE study, a cluster randomized controlled trial, involves 22 childcare centres randomly allocated to either the experimental (n = 11) or the control (n = 11) group. Childcare centres receiving the intervention will adopt an 8-week physical activity intervention with the following components: 1. shorter, more frequent bouts of outdoor playtime (4 × 30 min periods rather than 2 × 60 min periods); 2. new portable play equipment (e.g., obstacle course, balls); and, 3. staff training (1 × 4 hr workshop). Actical accelerometers will be used to assess total physical activity with measurements taken at baseline (i.e., week 0), immediately post-intervention (i.e., week 8), and at 6- and 12-month follow-up. As secondary objectives, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention on preschoolers': a) sedentary time; b) standardized body mass index scores (percentiles); c) health-related quality of life; and childcare providers' physical activity-related knowledge and self-efficacy to implement physical activity. DISCUSSION: The SPACE study aims to increase the low levels of physical activity observed within childcare centres. The findings of this work may be useful to policy makers and childcare providers to consider modifications to the current childcare curriculum and associated outdoor play time.

trial registrationISRCTN70604107 (October 8, 2014).

Indexed as

ExerciseAccelerometryBody Mass IndexChild CareChild HealthChild, PreschoolFemaleHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHealth PromotionHealth StatusHumansMalePlay and PlaythingsQuality of LifeResearch DesignSedentary Behavior

Identifiers

PMID26842502
PMCPMC4739086
OpenAlexW2252646148

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.