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Do preschools differ in promoting children's physical activity? An instrument for the assessment of preschool
Elena Sterdt1, Natalie Pape, Silke Kramer
1Institute for Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str,1, D-30625 Hanover, Germany. sterdt.elena@mh-hannover.de.
Insights
A study found that only 26% of preschools have systematic physical activity (PA) programs. Most preschools offer limited PA, highlighting a need for improved interventions and teacher education to boost physical activity in early childhood education.
Area of Science:
- Childhood Education
- Public Health
- Sports Science
Background:
- Preschools are crucial settings for preventive health interventions.
- Understanding physical activity (PA) promotion in preschools is limited, despite children spending significant time there.
- Systematic assessment of PA programs in preschools is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the extent of systematic physical activity (PA) promotion in preschools.
- To assess preschool PA programs using a newly developed instrument.
- To identify different types of preschool PA programs.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey of preschool education policies in Lower Saxony, Germany.
- Development of an assessment instrument to classify preschools based on PA program criteria.
- Classification into systematic PA programs (Type 1), no PA programs (Type 2), and limited PA programs.
Main Results:
- 26% of 2415 surveyed preschools have systematic PA programs; 3% have none.
- 71% of preschools were classified as having limited PA programs.
- Preschools with and without PA programs differed significantly in size; smaller, half-day preschools were more likely to lack PA programs.
Conclusions:
- The developed assessment instrument effectively identifies preschool PA program types and implementation levels.
- Findings reveal significant variation in PA promotion across preschools.
- The study identifies key areas for targeted interventions, such as teacher education and structured PA offerings.
Background:
Preschools offer high potential for preventive interventions. However, little is known about the structure of preschool programmes to promote physical activity (PA) in preschoolers although almost all children aged three to six years spend one third of the day at preschool. The aim of this study was to determine whether and to what extent preschools implement systematic PA promotion measures using an instrument specifically developed to assess and systematize preschool PA programmes.
Methods:
In the cross-sectional study a baseline survey of preschool education policies was conducted to identify and assess the type and extent of PA programmes and opportunities in preschools in the State of Lower Saxony, Germany. An assessment instrument was developed to identify preschools with systematic PA programmes (type 1) and those without PA programmes (type 2) based on the following quality criteria: A) written PA policy, B) structured weekly PA offerings for all children; C) at least one qualified physical education teacher; D) PA-friendly indoor and outdoor facilities (exercise room, situational PA opportunities, outdoor areas, play equipment etc.), and E) structured PA promotion in place for at least two years. A third type of preschool that promotes PA in children to some extent (i.e., that meets the criteria partially but not completely) was classified as "preschools with limited PA programmes".
Results:
2415 preschools participated in the survey (response rate: 59%). The results show that 26% (n = 554) have a systematic PA programme while 3% (n = 64) have no PA programme. Most (71%, n = 1514) were classified as limited PA programme preschools. All three types of preschools differed significantly (p = .000) from each other in terms of size (small vs. large). Most of the preschools without PA programmes are small half-day preschools.
Conclusions:
The study investigated an assessment-instrument providing extensive insight into the nature, extent and routine practical implementation of PA promotion in preschools. The criteria used to evaluate preschool PA programmes are well-suited to identify the different preschool PA programme types and target areas in the field of PA promotion in which specific measures (teacher education, structured PA offerings, etc.) can be implemented in future interventions.
