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Effects of Structured Physical Activity Program on Chinese Young Children's Executive Functions and Perceived
Shanying Xiong1, Xianxiong Li2, Kun Tao3
1Department of Physical Education, Shenzhen Polytechnic University, Shenzhen, China.
Insights
Structured physical activity programs significantly improved executive functions in preschool children compared to traditional recess. These findings highlight the benefits of structured activities for cognitive development in early childhood education settings.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Cognitive Psychology
- Physical Education
Background:
- Executive functions are crucial for cognitive and social-emotional development in preschoolers.
- Traditional recess may not optimally stimulate cognitive functions.
- Structured physical activity offers a potential avenue for enhancing cognitive skills.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the impact of a structured physical activity program versus traditional recess on preschool children's executive functions.
- To assess the effects of these programs on perceived physical competence.
Main Methods:
- 40 preschool children (4-5 years old) participated in a 3-month intervention.
- Intervention group received 30 minutes of structured physical activity daily.
- Control group received 30 minutes of free-activity recess daily.
Main Results:
- Both groups showed improvements in executive functions and perceived physical competence over time.
- The intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in executive functions compared to the control group (p=0.04).
- No significant differences were found in perceived physical competence between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Structured physical activity programs positively impact executive functions in preschool children.
- Integrating structured physical activity into daycare settings is recommended for cognitive enhancement.
Purpose:
To examine the effects of a structured physical activity program on executive functions and perceived physical competence as compared to a traditional recess among preschool children.
Methods:
Participants were 40 preschool children aged 4-5 from an urban child care center in a southern Chinese metropolitan area. Prior to the intervention, baseline assessments of children's executive functions and perceived physical competence were conducted. Children were then assigned to (1) intervention condition: a structured physical activity intervention group; (2) control condition: free-activity recess. The structured physical activity or recess programs were provided to the intervention and control groups 30 minutes daily for 3 months, respectively, followed by the identical postintervention measures.
Results:
Thirty-nine children (19 girls; mean age = 4.67 years old, BMI = 15.54 ± 1.21) were included in the analysis. In general, children's executive functions and perceived physical competence increased over time. Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed the intervention group had significant greater increases in executive functions compared to the control children (F(1, 37) = 4.20, p = 0.04, η2 = .10), yet there were no greater increases in perceived physical competence (F(1, 37) = 2.35, p = 0.13, η2 = .06).
Conclusion:
The intervention exerted significant greater increases in executive functions in preschool children. It is meaningful to offer structured physical activity programs in day care centers.
