Katherine E Spring, Danielle Lang, Melissa M Pangelinan, Danielle D Wadsworth
{"title":"Effects of an 8-Week Active Play Intervention on Body Composition and Fundamental Motor Skills in Preschool Children.","authors":"Katherine E Spring, Danielle Lang, Melissa M Pangelinan, Danielle D Wadsworth","doi":"10.3390/children11101173","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Objective:</b> Examine the effect of an 8-week teacher-guided active play intervention on preschoolers' body composition and fundamental motor skills. <b>Methods:</b> Participants were from two local preschool centers randomly assigned to either the intervention (<i>n</i> = 25, 3.91 ± 0.53 years) or the control group (<i>n</i> = 25, 3.69 ± 0.81 years). All measures were assessed at baseline (week 0), post-intervention (weeks 9-11), and follow-up (weeks 30-33). Bioelectrical Impedance assessed body composition (fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM)). The Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, Second Edition (PDMS-2) assessed fundamental motor skills (gross motor quartile (GMQ)). <b>Results:</b> A significant Group × Time interaction for GMQ at post-intervention (<i>p</i> = 0.03), with the intervention group scoring significantly higher on GMQ. A significant main effect of Time (<i>p</i> < 0.001) indicated that GMQ increased in both groups across the 33-week period. For FM, a significant main effect of Time at both post-intervention (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and follow-up testing (<i>p</i> < 0.001) indicated that participants increased FM over the 33-week period. Lastly, there was a significant main effect of Time for FFM at post-intervention (<i>p</i> = 0.003) and follow-up (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Interestingly, there was a significant Group × Time interaction (<i>p</i> < 0.05) at follow-up testing showing that FFM increased over time but significantly more for the control group. <b>Conclusions:</b> Results indicate that active play interventions might be a successful pathway to improve gross motor skills in young children. Further research is needed to understand the effect that active play interventions have on body composition in preschoolers.</p>","PeriodicalId":48588,"journal":{"name":"Children-Basel","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11506747/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Children-Basel","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3390/children11101173","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PEDIATRICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: Examine the effect of an 8-week teacher-guided active play intervention on preschoolers' body composition and fundamental motor skills. Methods: Participants were from two local preschool centers randomly assigned to either the intervention (n = 25, 3.91 ± 0.53 years) or the control group (n = 25, 3.69 ± 0.81 years). All measures were assessed at baseline (week 0), post-intervention (weeks 9-11), and follow-up (weeks 30-33). Bioelectrical Impedance assessed body composition (fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM)). The Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, Second Edition (PDMS-2) assessed fundamental motor skills (gross motor quartile (GMQ)). Results: A significant Group × Time interaction for GMQ at post-intervention (p = 0.03), with the intervention group scoring significantly higher on GMQ. A significant main effect of Time (p < 0.001) indicated that GMQ increased in both groups across the 33-week period. For FM, a significant main effect of Time at both post-intervention (p < 0.05) and follow-up testing (p < 0.001) indicated that participants increased FM over the 33-week period. Lastly, there was a significant main effect of Time for FFM at post-intervention (p = 0.003) and follow-up (p < 0.001). Interestingly, there was a significant Group × Time interaction (p < 0.05) at follow-up testing showing that FFM increased over time but significantly more for the control group. Conclusions: Results indicate that active play interventions might be a successful pathway to improve gross motor skills in young children. Further research is needed to understand the effect that active play interventions have on body composition in preschoolers.
期刊介绍:
Children is an international, open access journal dedicated to a streamlined, yet scientifically rigorous, dissemination of peer-reviewed science related to childhood health and disease in developed and developing countries.
The publication focuses on sharing clinical, epidemiological and translational science relevant to children’s health. Moreover, the primary goals of the publication are to highlight under‑represented pediatric disciplines, to emphasize interdisciplinary research and to disseminate advances in knowledge in global child health. In addition to original research, the journal publishes expert editorials and commentaries, clinical case reports, and insightful communications reflecting the latest developments in pediatric medicine. By publishing meritorious articles as soon as the editorial review process is completed, rather than at predefined intervals, Children also permits rapid open access sharing of new information, allowing us to reach the broadest audience in the most expedient fashion.