Actualité sur les déterminants de l’activité physique habituelle (APH) de l’enfant : mise à jour et implications pour les options de prise en charge et de prévention du surpoids/obésité infantile

With the steady rise in the prevalence of overweight/obesity and its comorbidities in the pediatric population, it seems necessary to watch and stimulate the engagement of a majority of children in a regular physical activity. To do this, it seems crucial to know and handle properly the determinants or influences of the habitual physical activity (HPA) of children, especially when it is about overweight/obesity children. This article is an update and a review of existing data on the determinants of HPA with reference to overweight/obesity in childhood. Current data suggest that self-efficacy and physical competence are key motivators and solid anchor points for the initiation and engagement of children in a regular physical activity. In particular, for overweight/obese children, intervention strategies should first concentrate on improving these psychosocial dimensions around which other physiological components (capacity factors) and environmental (reinforcement factors) could revolve. These strategies should involve a multidisciplinary professional team (epidemiologists, actiphysists, teachers, physicians, psychologists, urban planners, local councillors) not only pursuing the same objective but with sufficiently varied skills to be effective at their respective levels.