31st Jan 2024

Introduction: preschool is an environment of opportunities for child development through the provision of pedagogical, social, and structural tools that can facilitate or restrict the practice of physical activity (PA). This can happen through pedagogical aspects of teachers, such as a practice that encourages PA, as well as training teachers focused on planning and applying PA, and also through the availability of adequate physical structure. This study verified the association of the built (AC) and perceived (AP) environment of preschool, pedagogical aspects of teachers (PP), and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of preschoolers. Methods: One hundred forty-one preschoolers (67 boys, 4.4 ± 0.7 years) were evaluated. MVPA was assessed by accelerometry. The AC was evaluated objectively through an audit. The AP and the teachers’ pedagogical aspects were evaluated by face-to-face interviews (EPAO – Environment Assessment and Policy Observation). The structural equation method was used through univariate multiple regression to analyse the associations of AC, AP PP, and MVPA of preschool children. Results: For AC: there were positive associations between the number of spaces for games (b = 0.35, p < 0.001) and the number of resources available (b = 0.23, p = 0.004) and negative associations between the school's aesthetics (b = – 0.22, p = 0.002) and children's MVPA. For AP: there were positive associations between teachers' perception of their classrooms (b = 0.50, p = 0.012) and greater quantities of portable structures for PA (b = 0.26, p = 0.029), with and negative associations between the number of physical structures for PA (b = – 0.21, p = 0.019), and children's MVPA. Conclusions: Preschool AC and AP are positively related to preschoolers' MVPA. Strategies to increase the time spent on AFMS within preschool must consider the environment and factors interrelated to the context.