Benefits of organized sports participation and voluntary outdoor play in children and adolescents based on evidence-related health outcomes / 体力科学

This report provides an overview of the effectiveness of objectively measured physical activity, sports participation, and outdoor play on outcomes related to mental health and social skills in children and adolescents. Findings based on observation studies of longitudinal and cross-sectional design are inconsistent. On the other hand, several intervention studies with high intensity exercise programs indicated that intensity and amount of physical activity might provide a short-term benefit against depressive symptoms and anxiety. However, there are reports that psychosocial approaches confer effects similar to exercise programs. The effects of participation in organized sports clubs on mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, self-esteem, self-efficacy, health-related quality of life, social skills (e.g., relationship skills), and coping ability were diverse. Notably, there could be unfavorable relationships in athletes exhibiting a higher performance. Meanwhile, participation in sports could represent a predictor of escalation in alcohol use as evidenced by longitudinal observation studies in adolescent, although there could also be effectiveness in terms of preventing use of illicit drugs. Lastly, active outdoor play under natural conditions without supervision also represented an effective approach to promote mental health (e.g., reducing depressive symptoms and building social skills such as self-regulation and coping skills in the face of difficult human relationships). We recognize that not only sports participation but also outdoor play under abundant nature environment could represent a significant physical activity to maintain mental and social health from childhood to adolescence.

Parental education and perception of outdoor playing time for preschoolers

Abstract Aim: The objective of this study was to analyze whether or not socioeconomic positions influence outdoor playtime during the week (WK) and on the weekends (WEND). Methods: The sample consisted of 485 (girls; n=223) healthy preschoolers, aged from 3 to 6 years, enrolled in kindergartens from the metropolitan area of Porto, Portugal. Physical Activity (PA) was assessed for 7 consecutive days with an accelerometer. The time playing outdoors during the WK or the WEND was reported by parents. Anthropometric data (weight and height) was collected following standardized protocols. Socioeconomic position was assessed by Parental Education (PE), according to the Portuguese education system. Results: We found differences in time spent playing outdoors either for the WK or WEND, but not for Total PA (TPA), in both sexes. However, regression analysis showed that after age adjustment, BMI and TPA for both sexes, we only found significant associations between low PE (LPE) and high PE (HPE) groups on WK or WEND. However, we found no statistically significant association for boys on the WK (p=0.06). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that socioeconomic position can influence the children's time spent in outdoor activities, especially on the weekends. This may have implications for future interventions with this age group.

Relationship between outdoor playing time and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for Japanese young children and correlates of physical activity / 体力科学

This study aimed to examine the relationship between daily outdoor playing time assessed using questionnaires for parents and daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) using triaxial accelerometers for young children (213 boys: 5.8±0.6years and 193 girls: 5.9±0.6years). The study also examined the potential relationships between daily MVPA and exercise habits or familial and preschool factors which were assessed using questionnaires for parents. Daily MVPA was assessed using a triaxial accelerometer (ActivTracer, GMS) for 6 consecutive days, including weekdays and weekends. Outdoor playing time and percentage of outdoor playing time more than 60 min/day were 81±62 min/day and 64% for boys and 78±61 min/day and 62% for girls, respectively. Outdoor playing time was not significantly correlated with MVPA. The study found that no factors for MVPA, including exercise habits, were correlated with MVPA when adjusted for age, body height and log-body weight, except that MVPA for girls in kindergartens was higher than that in nursery schools. These findings suggest that the percentage of outdoor playing time more than 60 min/day was about 2/3 in young children. The questionnaire didn't reflect their MVPA. The factors used in the present study except for the preschool type for girls may not contribute to the time spent in MVPA in preschool children.

Assessment of Physical Activity, Activity Coefficient of Preschool Children and Actual Condition of Daycare Center Outdoor Play / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to assess physical activities and activity coefficient of preschool children and was to give some concrete information to activate outdoor play and to probe the suggestions to activate outdoor play. 42 preschool children (17 boys and 25 girls) were included. Body weight and height were measured and one-day activity diaries were collected by interviewing with their parents and kindergarten teachers. To measure physical activity during outdoor play, this study was researched the current conditions and content of outdoor play activity in daycare centers, and teacher's perceptions of that outdoor play. The average age of the subjects was 5.0 years. Average height, weight, body fat and body muscle of subjects were 108.9 cm, 18.9 kg, 17.7% and 26.8%, respectively. The subjects spent about 10 hours 39 minutes sleeping; 4 hours 16 minutes personal hygiene and computer working. They spent 88.2% of 24 hours (one day) in "very light activities" and 11.3% in "light activities". Activity coefficient (1.34) of weekday was significantly higher than that of weekend (1.21). And in this study, it was found that most of daycare centers (87.7%) have outdoor play space, 95.2% of them were garden. The teachers recognized that have a outdoor play frequency everyday (48%), three or four times (46%) in a week but they have three or four times (38%), one or two times (30%) because of various indoor program. Also, they recognized that have a outdoor play expending time 21- 30 minutes (48%), 31-40 minutes (26%) but they have 21-30 minutes (64%). They answered that have frequency and expending time less than their recognition of outdoor play. Most of daycare center teachers perceived outdoor play to be as important as indoor play, and the teachers believed outdoor play supports children's physical, cognitive, social, and language development. The results of this study may be used to utilize as a basic data for estimate physical activity for preschool children and developed that exercise program to increase physical activity of daycare center outdoor play.