The Ecology of Physical Activity in Family Childcare Environments

A GIS-Supported Qualitative Study

Abstract

Most preschoolers cared for by family childcare providers (FCCPs) fail to meet physical activity guidelines. This study examines how FCCPs in Illinois shape opportunities for preschoolers’ physical activity. Researchers used geospatial data from 342 family childcare homes, as well as semi-structured interviews at two time points with a subset of 21 FCCPs. The study analyzed all sources of data using sociospatial grounded theory and analytic induction approaches. Findings suggest that key contextual factors at the policy-, environmental-, program- and FCCP- levels lead to flexible physical activity programming that shapes physical activity opportunities for the developmentally diverse children attending family childcare.