Abstract
Background: Monitoring of physical activity within the educational institution is of great importance, primarily because of the orientation and content implemented in the daycare. This research aimed to examine the number of steps children took during their stay in daycare with regards to age, gender and the frequency of going out. Methods: The research was conducted in four daycares in the urban environment of Novi Sad (Republic of Serbia), where 231 children, aged 5 to 7, were monitored (129 boys and 102 girls). Data on the number of steps were obtained using the pedometers. Results: The result of the univariate analysis of the variance test confirmed a statistically significant difference in the number of steps in relation to the age of children (p = 0.04). Boys were more active than girls in both age groups (p = 0.001). Children who were going to the daycare yard three to five times a week took drastically more steps than children who went up to twice a week (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The results of the current study show that age, gender, and time spent outdoors are significant determinants of physical activity in preschool age. Therefore, interventions regarding physical activity should be made during early childhood in order to promote health and prevent disease.
Highlights
The growth and development of children from the seventh to the eighth year involves complex processes of biological and psychosocial changes
This study aimed to examine the activity of preschool children during their stay in the institution, and based on it, determine the results in relation to children’s age, gender, and the frequency of going out
Having an adequate room in daycare is of great importance for those who may not have opportunities to participate in organized sports or structured physical education classes
Summary
The growth and development of children from the seventh to the eighth year involves complex processes of biological and psychosocial changes. Physical activity is a variable category because its level and intensity are not the same in children of different ages [4], boys are more physically active [5,6,7], children of physically active parents are more active [6], which holds true for children of parents with a higher level of education [8] It depends on the season [9,10] time spent outdoors [4,11], environmental management [12]. Interventions regarding physical activity should be made during early childhood in order to promote health and prevent disease
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