Leigh M Vanderloo
Biographic Data
| ID | 5411186 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Leigh M Vanderloo |
| GIVEN NAMES | Leigh M |
| FAMILY NAME | Vanderloo |
| SIGNATURE | VANDERLOO L M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Western University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4621-3717 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 40 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 13 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 40 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2014 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Promotion of physical activity among people who identify as women through the ParticipAction mobile app
Objective Health and fitness mobile applications can increase users’ physical activity (PA) levels (Lister et al., 2014). ParticipACTION is a national non-profit organization that developed a mobile app to target PA among adults (Truelove et al., 2020). The aim of this research was to examine how women’s PA is related to their use of the ParticipACTION app.Methods and Measurement Using a mixed-methods design, participants (n = 3,493) completed a …
Inequities in sleep duration and quality among adolescents in Canada
Differences in sleep duration and quality were most profound among adolescents from the lowest and highest SES. Racial disparities were more evident on weekdays. Compensatory weekend sleep appears more pronounced in females than males. Addressing sleep inequities is critical, as a robust predictor of multiple health outcomes
We are an active family”
The clinical trial registration ID is NCT05794789. This trial was registered with clinicaltrials.gov on March 2nd, 2023, with the last updated release on September 28th, 2023
The relevance of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in the promotion of sport, physical activity, and recreation in Canada
The 2022 ParticipAction Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth
Introduction The ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth is the most comprehensive national assessment of physical activity and related behaviors, characteristics, and opportunities for children and youth. The 2022 Report Card assigned grades based on data gathered during the COVID-19 pandemic to reflect this extraordinary time-period in Canada. Further, while not graded, efforts were made to summarize key findings …
The Role of Toronto's Neighborhood Landscape Characteristics in Facilitating Outdoor Play During the Covid-19 Outbreak
This article explores the relationship of neighborhood landscape characteristics on outdoor play for children living in Toronto during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used a nation-wide online survey that reported changes in outdoor activities in and analyzed responses in relation to landscape affordances that facilitate outdoor play. Results show that living in areas with more landscape structures and higher population density is associated with great…
Parents' attitudes regarding their children's play during Covid-19
Findings from this work highlight SES and urbanicity disparities that continue to exist during COVID-19
Sleep duration change among adolescents in Canada
Increases in sleep duration may be one of the few benefits to adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic but were not equally distributed across sub-populations. Efforts to promote better sleep adherence may need to account for sex/gender differences, especially in less urbanized areas and certain racial/ethnic groups
Parent-Reported Changes in Ontario Children’s Physical Activity Levels during the Covid-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in closures of physical-activity-supporting environments, including playgrounds, outdoor recreation facilities (e.g., basketball courts), and community centers, which impacted children's movement opportunities. This study evaluated changes in Ontario children's physical activity levels during the COVID-19 pandemic and explored the impact of family sociodemographic markers on children's activity. Parents ( n = 243; M…
Re-assessing the social climate of physical (in)activity in Canada
Social-ecological models suggest that a strategy for increasing population physical activity participation is to reconstruct the "social climate" through changing social norms and beliefs about physical activity (PA). In this study, we assessed whether the PA social climate in Canada has changed over a five-year period after controlling for sociodemographic factors and PA levels. Replicating a survey administered in 2018, a sample of adults in Ca…
Child and youth physical activity throughout the Covid-19 pandemic
Global Matrix 4.0 Physical Activity Report Card Grades for Children and Adolescents
Background : The Global Matrix 4.0 on physical activity (PA) for children and adolescents was developed to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the global variation in children’s and adolescents’ (5–17 y) PA, related measures, and key sources of influence. The objectives of this article were (1) to summarize the findings from the Global Matrix 4.0 Report Cards, (2) to compare indicators across countries, and (3) to explore trends related to t…
A cross-sectional examination of Canadian adults’ prosocial behavior during the Covid-19 pandemic
Parents’ Attitudes Regarding Their Children’s Play and Sport During Covid-19
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures have interrupted the daily routines of parents and children. The purpose of this study was to explore parents’ attitudes regarding their children’s play/sport during COVID-19. A secondary objective was to explore the influence of parent demographics and parent-reported physical activity levels and risk tolerance on these attitudes. Ontario parents of children aged 12 and younger complete…
Implementation Adherence and Perspectives of the Childcare PhysicaL ActivitY (PLAY) Policy
The Childcare PhysicaL ActivitY (PLAY) policy was an evidence-informed, eight-item institutional-level policy document targeting children’s physical activity, outdoor play, and sedentary time. Nine childcare centers in London, Ontario, participated in this cluster, randomized controlled trial. Early Childhood Educators allocated to the experimental group, from five childcare centers in London, Ontario, implemented the policy for young children (1…
Children’s Physical Activity during Covid-19 in Ontario, Canada
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a large influence on children's physical activity (i.e., play and sport) opportunities. The purpose of this study was to describe parents' perspectives of their children's (ages 0-12) physical activity experiences during the pandemic (i.e., since the onset in March 2020 until follow-up survey completion date [between August to December 2021]). As part of the 'Return to Play' study conducted in Ontario, Canada, two-pa…
Training Pre-Service Early Childhood Educators in Physical Activity (Teach)
The TEACH study represents a novel, evidence-informed approach to address the existing gap in physical activity and sedentary behaviour-related education in Canadian post-secondary early childhood education programs. Moreover, e-Learning platforms, can be employed as an innovative, standardized, and scalable way to provide ECEs with consistent training across jurisdictions
Children’s screen use and school readiness at 4-6 years
Screen use in early childhood is associated with increased vulnerability in developmental readiness for school, with increased risk for poorer language and cognitive development in kindergarten, especially among high users
Change in pre- and in-service early childhood educators’ knowledge, self-efficacy, and intentions following an e-learning course in physical activity and sedentary behaviour
These findings provide preliminary evidence of the potential efficacy of the e-Learning course at improving ECEs' knowledge, self-efficacy, behavioural intention, and perceived behavioural control to support PA and minimize SB in childcare. Following the success of the pilot study, testing the effectiveness of the TEACH e-Learning course on a larger scale, with a comparison group, is warranted prior to recommending broader dissemination of the tr…
Impact of the Childcare Physical Activity (PLAY) Policy on Young Children’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Time
Background : The importance of daily physical activity is crucial for healthy development during the early years. Currently, a formal written physical activity policy is lacking in Canadian childcare centers, but holds promise for offering consistent physical activity opportunities. With eight recommendations, the Childcare PLAY policy is an evidence-informed, institutional-level document, targeting children's physical activity, outdoor play, and…
Ontario adults’ health behaviors, mental health, and overall well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic
As the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is currently unknown, its associated restrictions and society changes may influence adults' behaviors in both the short- and longer-term. As such, our findings might provide immediate insight into the development of timely and evidence-informed health promotion and disease prevention strategies for Canadians, which could support adults' health behaviors, mental health, and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemi…
Children and parents’ perspectives of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Ontario children’s physical activity, play, and sport behaviours
Findings from this study could inform families of feasible and realistic strategies for increasing children's physical activity during community closures, while also providing public health experts with information regarding what supports, or infrastructure might be needed during future lockdown periods and/or pandemics
Training may enhance early childhood educators’ self-efficacy to lead physical activity in childcare
Findings from this study highlight the benefit of ECE training in PA with regard to fostering their PA-related self-efficacy and knowledge. Future research should explore the impact of PA training for ECEs uniquely in order to determine if this intervention component, alone, can produce meaningful changes in children's PA behaviours at childcare
Public health preventive measures and child health behaviours during Covid-19
Public health preventive measures during COVID-19 were associated with a negative impact on the health behaviours of Canadian children living in a large metropolitan area
Development of a consensus statement on the role of the family in the physical activity, sedentary, and sleep behaviours of children and youth
The Influence of Centre-Based Childcare on Preschoolers’ Physical Activity Levels
The childcare environment represents an appropriate avenue to support physical activity among preschoolers. The aim of this study was two-fold: (1) to measure the physical activity levels of a sample of preschoolers during childcare hours; and (2) to assess which attributes (e.g., space, equipment, policies) within centre-based childcare environments influenced physical activity. Thirty-one preschoolers from 5 childcare centres across London, Can…
Weekly Trends in Preschoolers’ Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in Childcare
This study sought to examine how the physical activity levels and sedentary time of preschoolers attending center-based childcare varied across the week. Sex differences were also explored. Participants (n=101) wore ActicalTM accelerometers (15 s epoch) for five consecutive days during childcare hours only. A multivariate repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate levels of sedentary, light, and moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) physic…
An objective assessment of toddlers’ physical activity and sedentary levels
The implications of this work suggest that a greater understanding of toddlers' activity patterns is needed; additional mechanisms of promoting active behaviors among this group should be explored
Supporting Physical Activity in the Childcare Environment (SPACE)
ISRCTN70604107 (October 8, 2014)
Comparing the nutrition environment and practices of home- and centre-based child-care facilities
Objective To assess and compare the nutrition environment and practices (as they relate to pre-schoolers) of centre- and home-based child-care facilities. Design Using a cross-sectional study design, nineteen child-care facilities (ten centre-based, nine home-based) were assessed for one full day using the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO) tool (consisting of a day-long observation/review of the nutrition environment, pract…
The short-term effects of a mass reach physical activity campaign
This research addresses the gap in evidence regarding the efficacy of mass reach physical activity campaigns by informing whether a year-long campaign like the 150 Play List can be effective in influencing the behavior of those engaged with the campaign. The results reinforce the idea that 'top of mind' awareness should be measured. Investigating intention profiles can help inform campaign impacts and continuation intentions
Assessing the social climate of physical (in)activity in Canada
Ecological models suggest that a strategy for increasing physical activity participation within a population is to reconstruct the “social climate”. This can be accomplished through 1) changing norms and beliefs, 2) providing direct support for modifying environments, and 3) implementing policies to encourage physical activity. Nevertheless, surveillance efforts have paid limited attention to empirical assessment of social climate. This study res…
Exploring Mothers’ Influence on Preschoolers’ Physical Activity and Sedentary Time
Exploring the Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Childcare PhysicaL ActivitY (PLAY) Policy
Background : Young children are prone to low levels of physical activity in childcare. This environment, inclusive of equipment, policies, and staff, has been identified as influencing young children's activity behaviours. To date, no study has examined the feasibility and effectiveness of such policies in Canadian childcare centres, while the provision of physical activity policies in other countries has shown some promise for improving the acti…
The Impact of Shorter, More Frequent Outdoor Play Periods on Preschoolers’ Physical Activity during Childcare
Children's physical activity levels are higher at the start of outdoor playtime, which suggests that shorter, more frequent play periods might result in greater amounts of daily physical activity. In this extension of the Supporting Physical Activity in the Childcare Environment (SPACE) cluster randomized controlled trial, we explored the impact of four 30-min daily outdoor unstructured play periods on preschoolers' moderate-to-vigorous-intensity…
Parental support of the Canadian 24-hour movement guidelines for children and youth
Teenagers and fathers may represent key targets for parental support intervention of the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines. Intervention content may need to comprise the underlying foundations of attitude and perceived behavioral control to change parental support while considering the unique features of each health behavior to maximize related intervention effectiveness
Physical activity and screen-viewing policies in Canadian childcare centers
PA regulations are more common than SV policies in Canadian childcare centers; however, less than half implement a PA policy and only a third adopt SV regulations. An opportunity exists to advance practice by adopting proactive approaches to encouraging young children to be more active and less sedentary in childcare (i.e., through written policies). Supplementing policy with accessible resources, as well as consistent provision of early childhoo…
Development of a consensus statement on the role of the family in the physical activity, sedentary, and sleep behaviours of children and youth
Impact of the Covid-19 virus outbreak on movement and play behaviours of Canadian children and youth
Physical Activity as a Coping Strategy for Mental Health Due to the Covid-19 Virus
COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting social disruption has left many to struggle with changes to routines and feelings of uncertainty as the impact of the virus continues to unfold. Evidence suggests an increase in symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress as a result. Given the well-documented association between physical activity and mental health – be …
Healthy movement behaviours in children and youth during the Covid-19 pandemic
Impact of the Childcare Physical Activity (PLAY) Policy on Young Children’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Time
Background : The importance of daily physical activity is crucial for healthy development during the early years. Currently, a formal written physical activity policy is lacking in Canadian childcare centers, but holds promise for offering consistent physical activity opportunities. With eight recommendations, the Childcare PLAY policy is an evidence-informed, institutional-level document, targeting children's physical activity, outdoor play, and…
Ontario adults’ health behaviors, mental health, and overall well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic
As the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is currently unknown, its associated restrictions and society changes may influence adults' behaviors in both the short- and longer-term. As such, our findings might provide immediate insight into the development of timely and evidence-informed health promotion and disease prevention strategies for Canadians, which could support adults' health behaviors, mental health, and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemi…
Children and parents’ perspectives of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Ontario children’s physical activity, play, and sport behaviours
Findings from this study could inform families of feasible and realistic strategies for increasing children's physical activity during community closures, while also providing public health experts with information regarding what supports, or infrastructure might be needed during future lockdown periods and/or pandemics
Training may enhance early childhood educators’ self-efficacy to lead physical activity in childcare
Findings from this study highlight the benefit of ECE training in PA with regard to fostering their PA-related self-efficacy and knowledge. Future research should explore the impact of PA training for ECEs uniquely in order to determine if this intervention component, alone, can produce meaningful changes in children's PA behaviours at childcare
Public health preventive measures and child health behaviours during Covid-19
Public health preventive measures during COVID-19 were associated with a negative impact on the health behaviours of Canadian children living in a large metropolitan area
Global Matrix 4.0 Physical Activity Report Card Grades for Children and Adolescents
Background : The Global Matrix 4.0 on physical activity (PA) for children and adolescents was developed to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the global variation in children’s and adolescents’ (5–17 y) PA, related measures, and key sources of influence. The objectives of this article were (1) to summarize the findings from the Global Matrix 4.0 Report Cards, (2) to compare indicators across countries, and (3) to explore trends related to t…
A cross-sectional examination of Canadian adults’ prosocial behavior during the Covid-19 pandemic
Parents’ Attitudes Regarding Their Children’s Play and Sport During Covid-19
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures have interrupted the daily routines of parents and children. The purpose of this study was to explore parents’ attitudes regarding their children’s play/sport during COVID-19. A secondary objective was to explore the influence of parent demographics and parent-reported physical activity levels and risk tolerance on these attitudes. Ontario parents of children aged 12 and younger complete…
Implementation Adherence and Perspectives of the Childcare PhysicaL ActivitY (PLAY) Policy
The Childcare PhysicaL ActivitY (PLAY) policy was an evidence-informed, eight-item institutional-level policy document targeting children’s physical activity, outdoor play, and sedentary time. Nine childcare centers in London, Ontario, participated in this cluster, randomized controlled trial. Early Childhood Educators allocated to the experimental group, from five childcare centers in London, Ontario, implemented the policy for young children (1…
Medicine (40 works) · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet (28 works) · Psychology (27 works) · Physical activity (23 works) · Physical therapy (21 works) · Public health (17 works) · Children's Physical and Motor Development (16 works) · Biostatistics (14 works) · Nursing (13 works) · Environmental health (12 works)