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Physical activity recommendations for early childhood: an international analysis of ten different countries’ current national physical activity policies and practices for those under the age of 5
Abstract
During the last two decades there have been growing interests on recommendations for children’s physical activity. The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the first global international recommendations for children in 2010, focusing on children and youth aged 5-17-year olds. The recommendations were based on the dose-response relationship between the frequency, duration, intensity, type and amount of physical activity needed for prevention of non-communicable diseases. Until 2019, there was a gap in the recommendations, as the WHO did not offer global recommendations for those children under the age of 5 (early years).
The new recent guidelines (WHO, 2019) now offer a focused recommendations for physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for under 5 years of age, however what the guidelines do not offer are ways in which early years’ practitioners and teachers can support physical activity through play to ensure children are inspired, motivated and competent to have a physically active daily life as well enjoy moving.
An international policy and practice analysis, (not previously undertaken), of ten sample countries, was completed of current national physical activity practices. Also, an international comparison of early years’ education settings was examined, specifically for those under the age of 5, to investigate current curricula, as well as the qualifications, knowledge and understanding of those supporting children’s learning in different cultural contexts. The sample of ten countries (Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, United Kingdom and United States of America) questioned whether the global daily physical activity recommendations (WHO, 2010), currently applied at time of analysis, are costumed and used for to the early years’ age group on a national level or if they need to be adjusted, especially in light of the new guidelines.
The analysis revealed that eight countries have developed their own national recommendations for children below the age of 5, while only two countries do not have any early years’ specific physical activity recommendations. National authorities seem to be the most common executive sources behind the recommendations. The content of physical activity for children under the age of 5, mostly included the total amount and intensity of physical activity. The total daily amount of physical activity in these ten countries varies between 60 minutes moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity up to 180 min total light to moderate intensity physical activity and for some countries the daily recommendations are only from age 1 year, not between birth and 1 year, this age range remains unsupported.
The conclusions from the analysis of national recommendations, underlined the need to extend further the new global recommendations so that they are developed to support all countries to go beyond just physical activity intensity levels and to consider how young children’s development can be supported in a versatile way by physically active play. Also age specific recommendations are offered for appropriate and purposeful physical activity to support early years and school aged children’s overall development. The findings also suggest educational recommendations for staff members of early childhood education and care settings to know appropriate and age specific recommendations to ensure they are able to support young children to reach the national and global recommendations. Research recommendations are also proposed.
... http://jecer.org from an educational viewpoint that the AIESEP Early Years SIG group were able to discuss the global varied ages that attend preschool educational settings as previously analyzed by Howells and Sääkslahti (2019). Within this 12 sample countries paper, the ages of children who are attending preschool range from 0-8 years and the focus of the curricula analysis and policy implementation lies in the Early Years educational settings. ...
... Also as the expert members of AIESEP and the early years' SIG group focuses on the training of early years, primary / elementary educators, the sharing of knowledge and the comparison of policy and practice globally would allow for mapping of good practice as well as barriers to be considered. The sharing of knowledge is particularly important as the qualifications of ECEC staff varies globally from no universal requirements or qualifications, up to Master's degree level 7, and yet these staff members are the key staff (employees) who support such a vital time in young children's lives (Howells & Sääkslahti, 2019). It is believed strongly by the AIESEP Early Years SIG group that knowledge is powerful and value the importance of learning from each other, as this paper aims to do. ...
... http://jecer.org number of hours spent within the early years' setting and the qualifications of those teaching in the early years' educational settings (Howells & Sääkslahti, 2019). ...
Lifelong movement and physical activity (PA) patterns develop during early childhood. Therefore, educators (teachers and practitioners) in early childhood education and care (ECEC) should provide opportunities to support children’s play, PA, and movement development. The World Health Organization (2019) offers new recommendations for PA, for children under five years. The guidelines do not specify the ways ECEC staff cansupportPAthroughplay.Therefore, this paper investigates, how physical play (PP) is enacted globally. An internationalpolicy andpracticeanalysisoftwelve countries, (Australia[Victoria], Belgium [Flanders], Canada[Alberta], China, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK [England] and USA) was completed by analyzing the ECEC curricula and their implementation in different cultural contexts. A content analysis was undertaken by AIESEP Early Years SIG experts revealing that PP was not clearly defined. When defined, it was described as PA, and important for children’s holistic development. The majority of curricula did not state the length/time for PP. Three main strategies for implementing PP were found: a) pedagogical framework; b) active learning methods; and c) motor development. This international analysis highlights the global need for better ECEC staff support in acknowledging and implementing PP to aid children’s overall development, PA and wellbeing.
... Preschool is thus an important arena for children's development and growth, and vital for the development of and through movement. There is a growing interest in and knowledge of the importance of movement and motor development amongst the youngest children (e.g., Armstrong & Van Mechelen, 2017;Howells & Sääkslahti, 2019;Hulteen et al., 2018;Stodden et al., 2008;Webster et al., 2019). The World Health Organization (WHO), acknowledging that children of preschool age should participate in active play and a wide range of physical activities (World Health Organization, 2019), offers recommendations for physical activity, screen time, and sleep quality. ...
... There are, however, a number of studies in areas such as pedagogical intervention studies of preschool children's learning (e.g., Bjørgen, 2016;Ruiz-Esteban et al., 2020). As preschool teachers are central to the development of children's movement sufficient teacher training is important for the teaching quality (see also Bautista et al., 2020;Goldfield et al., 2012;Howells & Sääkslahti, 2019;Ward et al., 2010). Howells and Sääkslahti (2019) emphasized the importance of changing teachers', practitioners' and children's understanding of motor competence, to make them more positive about physical activity. ...
Most children attend preschools in Sweden, and preschool is thus an important arena for children’s development and growth as well as for the development of and through movement. However, little is known about the teaching of movement in Swedish preschools. This article develops knowledge of what can characterize such teaching, particularly regarding goal and motive, content, and teaching actions. The material was generated in 2018–2019 in collaboration with 42 preschool departments in Sweden. The theoretical approach is “didaktik”, and “why”, “what”, and “how” questions are used as analytical tools. A variety of content can be seen, such as fundamental movement skills, different aspects of movement and, in a few teaching arrangements, physical activity. The teaching is often led by the teacher, though the children are sometimes co-leaders. The results also indicate a focus on inherent values but also on investment and added values. The study highlights the importance of preschool teachers’ attention to the prospective object and purpose of teaching movement, but also of teachers’ competence and the need for conscious strategies for teaching movement. Through well-grounded didaktik choices, children can be offered good opportunities to experience and explore movement.
... 11 In addition to engaging in regular MVPA, it is also important to participate in different types of physical activities to develop children's motor competence. [12][13][14] Motor competence is the degree to which an individual is proficient in a broad range of motor skills (including coordination, and fine and gross motor skills) and their underlying mechanisms. 15 Motor competence is important because it is associated with increased physical activity levels in childhood and children who engage in higher levels of physical activity tend to have better motor competence. ...
Background:
The purpose was to synthesize evidence on the association between nature-based Early Childhood Education (ECE) and children's physical activity (PA) and motor competence (MC).
Methods:
A literature search of 9 databases was concluded in August 2020. Studies were eligible if (1) children were aged 2-7 years old and attending ECE, (2) ECE settings integrated nature, and (3) assessed physical outcomes. Two reviewers independently screened full-text articles and assessed study quality. Synthesis was conducted using effect direction (quantitative), thematic analysis (qualitative), and combined using a results-based convergent synthesis.
Results:
1370 full-text articles were screened and 39 (31 quantitative and 8 qualitative) studies were eligible; 20 quantitative studies assessed PA and 6 assessed MC. Findings indicated inconsistent associations between nature-based ECE and increased moderate to vigorous PA, and improved speed/agility and object control skills. There were positive associations between nature-based ECE and reduced sedentary time and improved balance. From the qualitative analysis, nature-based ECE affords higher intensity PA and risky play, which could improve some MC domains. The quality of 28/31 studies was weak.
Conclusions:
More controlled experimental designs that describe the dose and quality of nature are needed to better inform the effectiveness of nature-based ECE on PA and MC.
... Other studies have been conducted between some Nordic countries and other countries, such as play and learning in Norway, Finland, China and Hong Kong [42] as well as the use of legislative documents to examine the sustainability of ECEC policies across different countries [43][44][45][46]. An international study investigated the national recommendations regarding PA for children under the age of 5 in 10 countries [47]. To the best of our knowledge, no comparative studies have been published on how MoPA is presented and valued in Nordic legislation and curricula. ...
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.
... However, specific recommendations for developing MC are lacking. However, the international recommendation for the early years of the Federation Internationale D' Education Physique (International Federation of Physical Education) [158], as well as some national physical activity guidelines, such as those for Finnish children [159], acknowledge the importance of motor skill development, showing that in some cultures, MC is getting more consideration. Indeed, failure to consider MC as a key antecedent of physical activity and positive health and developmental trajectories in children and adolescents likely results in treating the symptoms rather than the cause of physical inactivity and ill health. ...
Abstract: Lack of physical activity is a global public health problem causing not only morbidity and premature mortality, but it is also a major economic burden worldwide. One of the cornerstones of a physically active lifestyle is Motor Competence (MC). MC is a complex biocultural attribute and therefore, its study requires a multi-sectoral, multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary approach. MC is a growing area of research, especially in children and adolescents due to its positive association with a plethora of health and developmental outcomes. Many questions, however, remain to be answered in this field of research, with regard to: (i) Health and Developmental-related Associations of MC; (ii) Assessment of MC; (iii) Prevalence and Trends of MC; (iv) Correlates and Determinants
of MC; (v) MC Interventions, and (vi) Translating MC Research into Practice and Policy. This paper presents a narrative review of the literature, summarizing current knowledge, identifying key research gaps and presenting questions for future investigation on MC in children and adolescents. This is a collaborative effort from the International Motor Competence Network (IMCNetwork) a network of academics and researchers aiming to promote international collaborative research and knowledge translation in the expansive field of MC. The knowledge and deliverables generated by addressing and answering the aforementioned research questions on MC presented in this review have the potential to shape the ways in which researchers and practitioners promote MC and iphysical activity in children and adolescents across the world.
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.
The 24-h day—containing physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep—in pre-school children has not yet been extensively investigated. The aim of the current study was to investigate pre-schoolers’ compliance with the 24-h movement behaviour guidelines (i.e., three hours/day total physical activity, a maximum of one hour/day of screen time and 10–13 h sleep/night). In total, 595 pre-schoolers (53.3% boys, mean age: 4.2 years) provided complete data for the three behaviours. Physical activity was objectively measured with accelerometers, while screen time and sleep were parent-reported through questionnaires. The proportion of pre-schoolers complying with the 24-h movement behaviour guidelines was calculated on weekdays and on weekend days. Low compliance rates were found: 10.1% on weekdays and only 4.3% on weekend days. The majority of pre-schoolers complied with the sleep duration guidelines (>90% on weekdays and weekend days), followed by the screen time guidelines (61% on weekdays and 28% on weekend days). The lowest compliance rates were found for physical activity (<20% on weekdays and weekend days). Overall, low percentages of pre-schoolers complying with the 24-h movement behaviour guidelines were found, and the lowest compliance was found for physical activity.
Objective
To summarise the current evidence on the effects of physical activity (PA) interventions on cognitive and academic performance in children, and formulate research priorities and recommendations.
Design
Systematic review (following PRISMA guidelines) with a methodological quality assessment and an international expert panel. We based the evaluation of the consistency of the scientific evidence on the findings reported in studies rated as of high methodological quality.
Data sources
PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central, Web of Science, ERIC, and SPORTDiscus.
Eligibility criteria for selecting studies
PA-intervention studies in children with at least one cognitive or academic performance assessment.
Results
Eleven (19%) of 58 included intervention studies received a high-quality rating for methodological quality: four assessed effects of PA interventions on cognitive performance, six assessed effects on academic performance, and one on both. All high-quality studies contrasted the effects of additional/adapted PA activities with regular curriculum activities. For cognitive performance 10 of 21 (48%) constructs analysed showed statistically significant beneficial intervention effects of PA, while for academic performance, 15 of 25 (60%) analyses found a significant beneficial effect of PA. Across all five studies assessing PA effects on mathematics, beneficial effects were reported in six out of seven (86%) outcomes. Experts put forward 46 research questions. The most pressing research priority cluster concerned the causality of the relationship between PA and cognitive/academic performance. The remaining clusters pertained to PA characteristics, moderators and mechanisms governing the ‘PA–performance’ relationship and miscellaneous topics.
Conclusion
There is currently inconclusive evidence for the beneficial effects of PA interventions on cognitive and overall academic performance in children. We conclude that there is strong evidence for beneficial effects of PA on maths performance. The expert panel confirmed that more ‘high-quality’ research is warranted. By prioritising the most important research questions and formulating recommendations we aim to guide researchers in generating high-quality evidence. Our recommendations focus on adequate control groups and sample size, the use of valid and reliable measurement instruments for physical activity and cognitive performance, measurement of compliance and data analysis.
PROSPERO registration number
CRD42017082505.
Evidence supports a positive association between competence in fundamental movement skills (e.g., kicking, jumping) and physical activity in young people. Whilst important, fundamental movement skills do not reflect the broad diversity of skills utilized in physical activity pursuits across the lifespan. Debate surrounds the question of what are the most salient skills to be learned which facilitate physical activity participation across the lifespan. In this paper, it is proposed that the term ‘fundamental movement skills’ be replaced with ‘foundational movement skills’. The term ‘foundational movement skills’ better reflects the broad range of movement forms that increase in complexity and specificity and can be applied in a variety of settings. Thus, ‘foundational movement skills’ includes both traditionally conceptualized ‘fundamental’ movement skills and other skills (e.g., bodyweight squat, cycling, swimming strokes) that support physical activity engagement across the lifespan. A proposed conceptual model outlines how foundational movement skill competency can provide a direct or indirect pathway, via specialized movement skills, to a lifetime of physical activity. Foundational movement skill development is hypothesized to vary according to culture and/or geographical location. Further, skill development may be hindered or enhanced by physical (i.e., fitness, weight status) and psychological (i.e., perceived competence, self-efficacy) attributes. This conceptual model may advance the application of motor development principles within the public health domain. Additionally, it promotes the continued development of human movement in the context of how it leads to skillful performance and how movement skill development supports and maintains a lifetime of physical activity engagement.
Increasing physical activity and reduction of sedentary behaviour play important roles in health promotion and prevention of lifestyle-related diseases in children and adolescents. However, the question of how much physical activity is useful for which target group is still a matter of debate. International guidelines (World Health Organization; European Association for the Study of Obesity), which are mainly based on expert opinions, recommend 60 min of physical activity every day. Age- and sex-specific features and regional differences are not taken into account. Therefore, expert consensus recommendations for promoting physical activity of children and adolescents in Germany were developed with special respect to national data, but also with respect to aspects of specific target groups, e.g., children with a lower socio-economic status (SES) or with migration background. They propose 90 min/day of physical activity, or at least 12,000 steps daily. Additionally, lifestyle factors, especially restriction of media consumption, were integrated. The recommendations provide orientation for parents and caregivers, for institutions such as schools and kindergartens as well as for communities and stakeholders. © 2014 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.
To determine, using a social-cognitive framework and structural equation modeling, if parent-reported family physical activity (PA) variables are related to PA of young children.
Cross-sectional study.
Children attending 23 preschools in and around Columbia, South Carolina.
Three hundred sixty-nine children (48.0% male and 50.4% black) and their parents.
Family variables were reported by parents and included parent PA, parent enjoyment of PA, importance to adults of child playing sports and being active, and family support.
Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of children was modeled as a latent variable using PA from direct observation, accelerometers, and parent's perception of the child's athletic coordination.
A model of direct and indirect relations of family variables, preschool quality, home PA equipment, and child's enjoyment of PA had acceptable fit (root mean square error of approximation, 0.053; comparative fit index, 0.90). Parent PA, parent enjoyment of PA, and importance of child's PA were significantly related to family support. Family support, quality of preschool attended, home PA equipment, and child's enjoyment of PA were positively related to child's PA. However, there was no direct relationship between parent PA and the child's PA.
Although parent PA was not directly related to children's MVPA, results showed that parent PA indirectly affects preschool children's MVPA via its influence on family support for children's PA.
Research has indicated that the child care center is a very strong predictor of preschool-aged children's physical activity levels, making this an important setting to help young children obtain physical activity that is appropriate for their health and development. However, some evidence suggests that organized child care may not adequately support children's physical activity needs. Although many organizations provide recommendations, guidelines, or standards for motor skill development and physical activity opportunities, no set of guidelines exist that directly target the overall physical activity environment at child care. Because of the lack of comprehensive recommendations, the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-assessment for Child Care best-practice guidelines for healthy weight development were created on the basis of an extensive review of existing guidelines, research evidence, and expert review. The purpose of this article is to present these physical activity best-practice guidelines and provide data on how these guidelines compare to current practice in a large sample (N = 96) of child care centers in North Carolina. These best-practice guidelines include recommendations for 8 unique components of the child care environment, including active opportunities, fixed play environment, portable play environment, sedentary opportunities, sedentary environment, staff behavior, staff training/education, and physical activity policies. Our results showed that only a few of the best-practice guidelines were achieved by a majority of the 96 North Carolina child care centers that participated in this study. Establishing comprehensive guidelines for physical activity at child care could result in higher activity levels and healthier children, but more research is needed.
AIESEP SIG for Early Years
AIESEP (2018) AIESEP SIG for Early Years. Retrieved from: http://aiesep.org/aiesep-sig-forearly-years/
Caring for our children: National health and safety performance standards; Guidelines for early care and education programs
American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, National Resource Center
for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education (2011). Caring for our children: National
health and safety performance standards; Guidelines for early care and education programs. 3rd edition.
Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.
Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines: CSEP/SCPE, Public Health Agency of Canada
Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (2011). Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines:
CSEP/SCPE, Public Health Agency of Canada. Retrieved from: https://csepguidelines.ca/