Intervention Effects of a Kindergarten-Based Health Promotion Programme on Motor Abilities in Early Childhood

Abstract

Background: Physical activity is positively related to motor abilities. Especially in childhood, an active lifestyle is important to support healthy motor development. The low-threshold health promotion programme "Join the Healthy Boat" in kindergartens promotes physical activity in order to also improve motor abilities. Here, effects of the programme on children's motor abilities after 1 year were investigated. Materials and Methods: The longitudinal study included 419 children (3.7 ± 0.6 years) from 58 kindergartens throughout southwest Germany (intervention: 254, control: 165). Children in the intervention group received physical activity promotion with a focus on motor ability development, led by teachers, through one kindergarten year; children in the control group followed the normal kindergarten routine. At baseline and follow-up, motor tests (3-min-run, one-leg-stand, standing long jump, sit-and-reach-test) were performed, anthropometric measures (body weight and height) were taken and a parental questionnaire was issued. Intervention effects were assessed using differential measures (follow-up-baseline) adjusted for gender, age, socioeconomic status (SES) and baseline values, with covariance analyses. Results: Children in the intervention group showed a significant improvement in endurance performance (F (1.329) = 20.95, p < 0.000, η 2 P = 0.060), which applies to boys F (1, 172) = 13, 66, p ≤ 0.000, η 2 P = 0, 074 and girls F (1, 152) = 7, 48, p ≤ 0.007, η 2 P = 0, 047. No significant intervention effects on endurance performance were found for children with low baseline values, children with a low SES, and children aged 5 years, nor for any other assessed motor ability. Conclusions: The theory-based, teacher-centered intervention promoting physical activity in order to also improve motor abilities has shown a positive effect on endurance performance in kindergarten children, but no other motor ability. Future interventions should therefore be either longer, more intense and take into account children's age, initial level of performance and their SES. In addition, the influence of teachers should be considered more closely in future research.

Health education work in kindergartens

“…If he does not master certain motor skills, it will be difficult for him to catch up later, but most importantly, it remains an important activity for him throughout his life. Unfortunately, Kobel et al (2020) find that kindergarteners are not sufficiently physically active compared to previous generations. This impacts the likelihood of becoming overweight.…”

Comparison of Motor Difficulties Measured in the First Year of School among Children Who Attended Rural Outdoor or Urban Conventional Kindergartens

“…However, in our stratified analysis by level of maternal education we did not see between group differences, although the odds ratio pointed towards a lower risk of motor difficulties among children from outdoor compared to conventional kindergartens for those children with less educated mothers. Controversially, a German cluster randomized intervention study promoting more physical activity in the intervention kindergartens managed by teachers over a period of one year, showed a significant improvement in endurance performance; however, when stratified by SES this was only apparent among children from high or medium SES families, and not among children from low SES families [ 30 ]. These results point towards that preventive interventions in kindergartens should differ according to socioeconomic status of the child or a more intense intervention is needed among less educated families to gain most effective results.…”

Motor difficulties during the first year of school among children who attended outdoor or conventional kindergartens

“…However, in our strati ed analysis by level of maternal education we did not see between group differences, although the odds ratio pointed towards a lower risk of motor di culties among children from outdoor compared to conventional kindergartens for those children with less educated mothers. Controversially, a German cluster randomized intervention study promoting more physical activity in the intervention kindergartens managed by teachers over a period of one year, showed a signi cant improvement in endurance performance, however when strati ed by SES this was only apparent among children from high or medium SES families, and not among children from low SES families (30). These results point towards that preventive interventions in kindergartens should differ according to socioeconomic status of the child or a more intense intervention is needed among less educated families to gain most effective results.…”