Peculiarities of Motor Activity in Primary School Aged Children During Spread of Acute Respiratory Viral Infections

Abstract

This article represents the analysis of scientific literature on the issue of motor activity in primary school-age children. The concept of motor activity is considered, its characteristic features are given in the context of the studied age period. Motor activity, as one of the basic means of physical culture, provides many opportunities for solving a number of problems related to the normal physical development and health preservation. The use of various forms of physical culture contributes to the prevention of diseases, increase in life expectancy and work capacity, promotes active creative longevity, and helps in the organization of full-time leisure time and the eradication of bad habits, thus creating conditions for learning about one’s own capabilities. The data obtained from the analysis of scientific and methodical publications points out the insufficiency of motor activity in children of primary school age that leads to the development of hypodynamia and a decrease in their level of health. Influenza and acute respiratory viral infections are one of the most urgent medical and socio-economic problems not only in out country but abroad as well. This is due to the significant prevalence of the diseases, their complex course, high risk of mortality and the occurrence of severe complications. One of the most unprotected categories of population is children. This group of infections causes significant economic damage to both the household budget and the state budget in particular. Acute respiratory viral infections occupy leading positions in the structure of children's diseases. Almost every child experiences episodes of acute viral respiratory infections or flu more than once a year. There has been found out scanty literature devoted to the influence of acute viral respiratory infections on indicators of the motor activity in children. The analysis of this issue is particularly relevant in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Special attention is focused on the need to change the content of physical education curriculum in order to improve the effectiveness of the fight against acute viral respiratory infections.