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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Children's Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2021) | Viewed by 53498

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Arja Sääkslahti

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Guest Editor

University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland
Interests: physical education; early childhood education and care; interventions; physical activity; motor competence; development; health; environment

Dr. Kristy Howells

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Co-Guest Editor

Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Social Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK
Interests: physical education; physical activity; physical development; mental health; health education; early movement; early childhood education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Kristine De Martelaer

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Co-Guest Editor

Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Belgium
Interests: physical education; physical activity; health education; motor competence, water familiarization; swimming

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are organizing a Special Issue on Physical Education in the Early Childhood in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. This venue is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes research in the interdisciplinary area of environmental health sciences and public health. For detailed information on the journal, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph.

Scholars around the world are worried about the insufficient amounts of children’s physical activity. Moreover, there are signs that the level of motor competence in children may have decreased over the past decades. Children have the right to grow and develop towards their full potential and health. Physical education and good intervention programs as part of different early childhood education settings can be a good way to support young children’s overall development and health.

This Special Issue is open to submissions that study physical education in different early childhood education (ECE) settings. We invite high-quality manuscripts focusing on physical activity and motor competence intervention programs in early childhood education settings. Different social–emotional, cognitive, or other intervention programs as part of physical education or physical activity intervention programs in ECE settings are of interest. Studies of the trends and comparisons of preschool aged children’s physical education curriculums, physical activity, and motor competence are highly warranted.

The supplemental keywords below suggest just a few of the many possibilities.

Dr. Arja Sääkslahti
Dr. Kristy Howells
Prof. Dr. Kristine De Martelaer
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

early childhood
preschool
physical education
curriculum
physical activity
motor competence
social–emotional development
cognitive development
intervention
physical and mental health
health education
physical literacy
parenting

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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22 pages, 120200 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Inter-Rater and Intra-Rater Reliability of the Actual Aquatic Skills Test (AAST) for Assessing Young Children’s Motor Competence in the Water

by Lisa Mertens, Kristine De Martelaer, Arja Sääkslahti and Eva D’Hondt

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(1), 446; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010446 - 31 Dec 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3289

Abstract

As children’s actual aquatic skills are important for the prevention of drowning as well as their engagement in lifelong aquatic physical activity, researchers and practitioners should be able to assess this vital concept accurately and reliably. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the Actual Aquatic Skills Test (AAST), consisting of 17 different test items for the assessment of young children’s motor competence in the water. Six raters received a training and evaluation session on scoring the AAST, after which five of them assessed four test videos (of various children (n = 38) performing the test items) twice, with one to two weeks in between (i.e., test and re-test). Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability were determined per test video and for the different AAST test items across videos using Gwet’s Agreement Coefficient 2 (Gwet’s AC2). The Gwet’s AC2 for inter-rater reliability at the test varied from 0.414 to 1.000, indicating a moderate to perfect agreement between raters. For intra-rater reliability, it ranged from 0.628 to 1.000, demonstrating a good to perfect agreement between test and re-test scoring. In conclusion, the AAST is a promising tool to reliably assess young children’s actual aquatic skills in an indoor swimming pool. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education in Early Childhood)

20 pages, 778 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Movement and Physical Activity in Early Childhood Education and Care Policies of Five Nordic Countries

by Ann-Christin Sollerhed, Line Grønholt Olesen, Karsten Froberg, Anne Soini, Arja Sääkslahti, Gudrún Kristjánsdóttir, Rúnar Vilhjálmsson, Ingunn Fjørtoft, Robert Larsen and Jan-Eric Ekberg

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 13226; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413226 - 15 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 7190

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the values of movement and physical activity (MoPA) using government policy documents (e.g., laws and curricula) on early childhood education and care (ECEC) from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. This descriptive, comparative study was designed based on curriculum theory and used word count and content analyses to identify similarities and differences in the occurrence of MoPA in the ECEC policies of Nordic countries. Seven terms were identified as MoPA-related in Nordic policy documents. These terms occurred in various content contexts: development, environment, expression, health and well-being, learning and play, albeit sparsely. MoPA was referred to as both a goal in and of itself and as a means of achieving other goals (e.g., learning or development in another area). Formulations specifically dedicated to MoPA as a goal were present in the Danish and Finnish curricula and, to some extent, also in the Norwegian curriculum, while the Icelandic and Swedish curricula mentioned MoPA mostly as a means. Findings indicated that MoPA, which is important for children’s development, health, and well-being, is a low-priority value, to varying degrees, in the ECEC policies enacted by Nordic countries and the guidance provided to educators and stakeholders therein is inexplicit. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education in Early Childhood)

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13 pages, 567 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Association between Physical Activity, Motor Skills and School Readiness in 4–5-Year-Old Children in the Northeast of England

by Dan Jones, Alison Innerd, Emma L. Giles and Liane B. Azevedo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(22), 11931; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182211931 - 13 Nov 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4084

Abstract

The benefits of being physically active, possessing good motor skills and being school-ready are well documented in early years. Nevertheless, the association between physical activity and motor skills with school readiness remains unknown. Therefore, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore the relationship between these variables. We collected data on 326 four to five-year-old children from the northeast of England. Children’s PA (ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers), motor skills (MABC-2 and the locomotor section of the TGMD-2) and school readiness (EYFSP) were measured, and associations between these variables were examined. This study found that, on average, children engaged in more MVPA (99.6 min/day) and less sedentary behaviour (261 min/day) than documented in previous research. Motor-skill scores were consistent with existing literature in early years. A higher percentage of children in the sample (79.6%) achieved school readiness than the average for England. Regression analyses found that motor-skill variables and sedentary behaviour were significantly predictive of school readiness, whereas physical activity was not. Motor skills and sedentary behaviour significantly predict school readiness. Therefore, promoting motor skills and developmentally appropriate sedentary behaviour activities may increase the number of children achieving school readiness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education in Early Childhood)

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12 pages, 315 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Children’s Rough-and-Tumble Play in a Supportive Early Childhood Education and Care Environment

by Rune Storli

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(19), 10469; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910469 - 5 Oct 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4946

Abstract

While a growing body of evidence highlights the benefits of rough-and-tumble play (R&T) in young children, it remains one of the most challenging kinds of play to support in early childhood education and care environment (ECEC) institutions. The present study explores the occurrence and characteristics of R&T in indoor and outdoor environments in a Norwegian sociocultural context where children can freely choose what, where, and with whom to play. The data consist of 100 randomly recorded two-minute videos, which were coded second by second for R&T. Qualitative analysis reveals that in a physically and culturally supportive environment for R&T, children aged 3–5 years perceive indoor spaces that afford physically active play to be more attractive for R&T than outdoor environments. The findings indicate gender differences related to R&T and how girls and boys use the physical environment in different ways. The quantitative findings are discussed within interactional affordances theory and show that children practise perceptual, motor, and social skills to successfully engage in R&T. Enhanced knowledge of children’s skill acquisition in R&T can support practitioners in developing pedagogical skills to facilitate challenging and safe environments for appropriate indoor R&T for both girls and boys. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education in Early Childhood)

14 pages, 385 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Physical Activity, Fitness, and Cognitive Performance of Estonian First-Grade Schoolchildren According Their MVPA Level in Kindergarten: A Longitudinal Study

by Kirkke Reisberg, Eva-Maria Riso and Jaak Jürimäe

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(14), 7576; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147576 - 16 Jul 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2504

Abstract

Little is known about the longitudinal trajectories and associations regarding physical activity (PA), physical fitness (PF), and cognitive skills in childhood. Accelerometer-based PA, sedentary behavior (SB), PF, and cognitive skills were measured in Estonian children (n = 147) in kindergarten (6.6 years) and again at school (7.6 years). Children were subgrouped into lower and upper quartiles by their moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) at 6.6 years. Children in the upper quartile had lower SB, higher PA, and greater muscular strength. Attending school, MVPA in the lower quartile improved. In both subgroups, most strength values and cognitive skills improved, while balance deteriorated in first grade. In the upper quartile, a greater MPA at 6.6 years predicted lower perceptual skills at 7.6 years. A greater SB at 6.6 years predicted higher verbal skills, light and moderate PA and MVPA, and lower verbal skills at 7.6 years after taking into account confounding factors such as the child’s sex, age, awake wear time (AWT), maternal education, and/or child’s sports participation. A vigorous PA at 6.6 years predicted perceptual (in upper quartile) or verbal (in lower quartile) skills at 7.6 years after controlling for similar confounders. No correlation for PF at 6.6 years and cognitive skills at 7.6 years existed; after adjusting for the above-mentioned confounders relative to upper/lower-limb strength, the 4 × 10 m shuttle run results predicted higher perceptual or verbal skills; static balance and cardiorespiratory fitness predicted lower verbal skills. Cardiorespiratory fitness predicted higher perceptual skills after controlling for sex, age, and AWT. Overall, PA and strength were constantly better and SB lower in the upper quartile, yet the lower quartile demonstrated improved MVPA in first grade, and both subgroups increased most components of their strength and cognitive skills in first grade. Higher levels of VPA at kindergarten predicted either better perceptual or verbal skills in first grade after controlling for confounders; the opposite associations were found for other PA levels and cognitive skills in the higher quartile. PF components at kindergarten predicted either superior or inferior cognitive skills in first grade after adjusting for confounders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education in Early Childhood)

14 pages, 677 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Finnish Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of Perceived Competence in Early Childhood Physical Education

by Anne Soini, Anthony Watt and Arja Sääkslahti

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(12), 6454; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126454 - 15 Jun 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4487

Abstract

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers have a central role in supporting young children’s physical activity (PA) and overall development in the early years. However, the value of early childhood education teacher training (ECETT) programmes is not widely understood. This study aimed to investigate pre-service teachers’ perceptions of perceived competence when (1) supporting a child’s PA, (2) teaching PE, and (3) observing and assessing a child’s motor skills and PA. These self-evaluations were compared with a range of individual, educational, and behavioural characteristics. Final-year Bachelor degree pre-service teachers (n = 274; 54%) from seven universities in Finland participated in the self-report questionnaire. The results of the linear regression models showed that the relevant PE studies and previous experiences of pre-service teachers predicted higher perceived competence of supporting a child’s PA, teaching PE, and observing and assessing a child’s motor skills and PA. Thus, the study findings demonstrated how teacher training could positively influence perceptions and attitudes to increase a person’s perceived competence when implementing PE in the early years. Overall, results reinforce the importance of PE in ECETT, and the time devoted to this syllabus area should be maintained or increased. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education in Early Childhood)

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10 pages, 339 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Is Quarter of Birth a Risk Factor for Developmental Coordinator Disorder in Preschool Children?

by Rubén Navarro-Patón, Silvia Pueyo Villa, Juan Luis Martín-Ayala, Mariacarla Martí González and Marcos Mecías-Calvo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(11), 5514; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115514 - 21 May 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1918

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the probability that preschool children have severe motor difficulties or are at risk of motor difficulties, according to quarter of birth and gender. Five hundred and eighty-eight preschool-age children were evaluated, of which 318 (54.08%) were boys and 270 (45.92%) were girls, with a mean age of 4.66 years (SD = 0.53). The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) was used to collect the data. The results obtained were the following: Regarding students with severe motor difficulties: 6.7% born in quarter 1 (Q1); 13.3% born in the second quarter (Q2); 20.0% born in the third quarter (Q3); and 60.0% born in the fourth quarter (Q4). The probabilities found (OR) were: Q1 vs. Q2 (OR = 3.15; p < 0.05); Q1 vs. Q3 (OR = 4.68; p < 0.005); Q1 vs. Q4 (OR = 12.40; p < 0.001); Q2 vs. Q4 (OR = 4.04; p < 0.001); and Q3 vs. Q4 (OR = 2.65; p < 0.005). The adjusted ORs, with respect to the probabilities of having severe motor difficulties, were the following: Being born in Q4 is 13.03 times more likely than being born in Q1 (p < 0.001); those born in Q3 are 4.85 times more likely than those born in Q1 (p < 0.05); and those born in Q2 4.14 times more than those born in Q1 (p < 0.05). The conclusion is that children born in Q4 are more likely to be classified as children with severe difficulties compared to children born in the other quarters of the same year. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education in Early Childhood)

14 pages, 2341 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in Motor Competence after a Brief Physical Education Intervention Program in 4 and 5-Year-Old Preschool Children

by Rubén Navarro-Patón, Julien Brito-Ballester, Silvia Pueyo Villa, Vanessa Anaya and Marcos Mecías-Calvo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(9), 4988; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094988 - 7 May 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4000

Abstract

Low motor competence (MC) can cause low participation in physical activities in preschool children, and together with a high caloric intake, it can lead to obesity. Interventions on motor skills are effective in the short term to improve MC, therefore the objectives of this study were (1) to investigate the effect of a short six-week program on levels of motor competence in preschool children, and (2) to examine the effects of gender-based intervention. A total of 156 preschool children (5.20 ± 0.54 years old) from Lugo (Spain) participated. A quasi-experimental pre–post-test design was used with a control group of 76 students. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children—2nd Edition (MABC-2) was used to collect the data. Significant differences between the control and experimental groups were found after the intervention program in aiming and catching (p < 0.001), balance (p < 0.001), the total score of eight tests (p < 0.001), and total percentile score (p < 0.001). The results regarding gender in the experimental group showed a reduction in differences with respect to the initial results except in aiming and catching, where scores were higher in boys. The data suggest that the application of specific intervention programs in MC could positively influence the improvement of MC in preschool children, thus reducing differences between genders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education in Early Childhood)

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12 pages, 831 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Children’s Perceived and Actual Physical Activity Levels within the Elementary School Setting

by Kristy Howells and Tara Coppinger

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(7), 3485; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073485 - 27 Mar 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3684

Abstract

To date, little research has longitudinally examined young children’s physical activity (PA) during school hours, nor questioned children’s perceptions of their own PA behaviours. This study investigated 20 children’s actual physical activity levels (APA) and their perceived physical activity levels (PPA) (10 infants, mean age 6.6 years; 10 juniors, mean age 9.5 years). APA was evaluated using accelerometers across 36 whole school days (371 min per day); 18 days included Physical Education (PE) lessons and 18 did not. A repeated-measures three-factor ANOVA analysed: type of day; age phase; parts of the day and sex. PPA was collected by an interactive handset and an adapted version of the PA Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C). Participants undertook 10 more minutes of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) on PE days (53 ± 19 min) compared to non-PE days (43 ± 15 min) (F = 92.32, p < 0.05) and only junior boys reached daily MVPA recommendations (60 ± 13 min) on PE days. Juniors over-estimated, and infants under-estimated, their APA levels. Educators need more support to teach and embed different PA intensities into the school day to enable children to better understand the health benefits associated with varying the intensity of their PA during school hours. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education in Early Childhood)

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15 pages, 355 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Associations between Children’s Risky Play and ECEC Outdoor Play Spaces and Materials

by Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter, Ole Johan Sando and Rasmus Kleppe

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(7), 3354; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073354 - 24 Mar 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 8897

Abstract

Children spend a large amount of time each day in early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions, and the ECEC play environments are important for children’s play opportunities. This includes children’s opportunities to engage in risky play. This study examined the relationship between the outdoor play environment and the occurrence of children’s risky play in ECEC institutions. Children (n = 80) were observed in two-minute sequences during periods of the day when they were free to choose what to do. The data consists of 935 randomly recorded two-minute videos, which were coded second by second for several categories of risky play as well as where and with what materials the play occurred. Results revealed that risky play (all categories in total) was positively associated with fixed equipment for functional play, nature and other fixed structures, while analysis of play materials showed that risky play was positively associated with wheeled toys. The results can support practitioners in developing their outdoor areas to provide varied and exciting play opportunities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education in Early Childhood)

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12 pages, 323 KiB

Open AccessProtocol

Sand Play for 0–8-Year-Old Children’s Health and Development: A Systematic Review Protocol

by Susanna Iivonen, Titta Kettukangas, Anne Soini and Helena Viholainen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(19), 10112; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910112 - 26 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5832

Abstract

Sand play may be a significant determinant of health and development in early childhood, but systematically synthesised evidence is absent in the literature. The main objective of this study was to present a planned methodology to systematically review, and synthesise, the evidence regarding sand play and its associations with 0–8-year-old children’s health and development. The systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols statement was registered to PROSPERO (CRD42021253852). Literature searches will be conducted using information from eight electronic databases. Studies will be included when participating children were aged 0–8 years, settings provided children with exposure to sand environments and/or materials, and child-level outcomes related to physical, cognitive, and/or social–emotional health and development. The search results will be imported to software; duplicates will be removed; and independent double screening, and study quality assessments using appropriate tools, will be conducted. Synthesis without meta-analysis will be conducted for quantitative studies similar in exposure, outcome, and content analysis to qualitative studies. Our overall confidence in each review finding will be assessed. The findings of this systematic review can inform policy makers and early childhood education teachers about the associations between sand play and children’s health and development, and its impact in practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education in Early Childhood)

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