Motor skills and nutritional status outcomes from a physical activity intervention in short breaks on preschool children conducted by their educators: a pilot study

Abstract

Introduction: childhood obesity is a worldwide health concern. For this issue different intervention have being planned to increase physical activity patterns and reduce the excess of weight in children with limited or no success.

Objective: the aim of this study is to evaluate the results of a pilot intervention consisting in three 15-minute breaks conducted by educators and supervised by physical education teachers on motor skills and nutritional status in preschool children.

Methods: sample was 70 preschool children (32 boys and 38 girls), age 4 0,6 years. The physical activity classes were performed three times a week, 45 minutes daily, distributed in three 15 minutes breaks. The circuits were planned to have; jumps, sprints, carrying medicinal balls, gallops and crawling. Motor skill tests that were performed Standing long jump (SLJ) and Twelve meter run.

Results: with the intervention no significant differences in nutritional status where found on mean Z score (boys p = 0.49, girls p =0.77). An increment on weight and height was fount after the intervention (p <0.0001). Regarding the 12 meter run test, we found significant changes after the intervention when we normalize by weight in boys (p =0.002) and girls (p <0.0001). Our results have shown than boys significantly increased their SLJ and SLJ normalized by weight (p<0.0001); a similar result was found in girls after the intervention (p <0.0001) suggesting the increment of power independent of weight gain.

Conclusions: in conclusion, this pilot study found that an intervention with more intense activities in small breaks (15 minutes), and guided by the educators could improve essential motor skills (running and jumping) in preschool children of a semi-rural sector independent of nutritional status. This gaining in motor skills is the first step to increase physical activity levels in preschool children.