Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
2.0
2.4
Journals
Children
Special Issues
Physical Education and Exercise Promotion and Intervention in Children and...
share announcement

Physical Education and Exercise Promotion and Intervention in Children and Adolescents for Health and Wellbeing

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Global and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 December 2024 | Viewed by 3775

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Francesca D’Elia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Humanities, Philosophy and Education, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
Interests: physical education; primary school; PE teacher training; faculty development; movement assessment; teaching methods of PE; adapted physical activity; sport education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

You are invited to contribute your work to this Special Issue on “Physical Education and Exercise Promotion and Intervention in Children and Adolescents for Health and Wellbeing”.

Maintaining appropriate levels of physical activity (PA) and physical fitness is essential in developing healthy lifestyles in children and adolescents. The evidence that activity and fitness are directly related to health outcomes in younger people is becoming increasingly persuasive. To promote health, wellness and fitness in young people, researchers must develop appropriate strategies that are consistent with individual needs, interests and skills. The increase in rates of overweight and obesity is the result of multifaceted determinants and their complex interactions over time. Schools, via the curriculum, school ethos and community, are an ideal context for educating young people about the importance of PA and the value of achieving and/or maintaining health-related fitness standards and for building the necessary skills for long-term behaviour change and healthy lifestyles.

Many school-based intervention studies and education programmes promoting PA and a healthy lifestyle have been performed over the last two decades, so the scope of the SI is to collect the most recent studies and projects aimed at increasing knowledge and research experiences carried out in socio-educational context (i.e., school and sports associations) and based on physical activity and sports programs addressed to children and adolescents’ physical education for prevention of risks and promotion of health and wellbeing.

Dr. Francesca D'Elia
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • young physical fitness
  • prevention
  • overweight
  • obesity
  • movement assessment
  • performance tests
  • body image
  • wellness
  • motor learning

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

14 pages, 968 KiB  
Article
Investigating Facilitators and Barriers for Active Breaks among Secondary School Students: Formative Evaluation of Teachers and Students
by Alice Masini, Giulia Longo, Matteo Ricci, Lawrence M. Scheier, Alessandra Sansavini, Andrea Ceciliani and Laura Dallolio
Children 2024, 11(2), 155; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11020155 - 25 Jan 2024
Viewed by 870
Abstract
Physical activity in the form of “active breaks” can be combined with academic instruction in primary school. However, few studies have examined the feasibility of conducting active breaks in secondary school. To address this gap, we conducted focus groups (FGs) regarding the implementation [...] Read more.
Physical activity in the form of “active breaks” can be combined with academic instruction in primary school. However, few studies have examined the feasibility of conducting active breaks in secondary school. To address this gap, we conducted focus groups (FGs) regarding the implementation of an active breaks (ABs) protocol with 20 teachers and 10 secondary school students. Barriers/facilitators toward the implementation of ABs were classified using grounded theory inductive methods framed by the socio-ecological model. Individual-level factors were instrumental for both teachers and students. Teachers highlighted personal fears and concerns regarding using ABs, while students reported fears related to peer behaviour during the activity. Both teachers and students agreed that ABs can improve cognitive skills and time-on-task behaviour. Teachers articulated concerns related to student behaviour during ABs including possible social exclusion and injury. Students felt that ABs might affect classroom management and interfere with maintaining students’ academic focus. Teachers underscored that ABs required social support from the administration and colleagues. Students felt that ABs could support teachers’ instructional focus and provide them with an energy respite. Collectively, the FGs suggested that environmental limitations could hinder the implementation of ABs. Involving teacher and student feedback during the codesign phase can rationally inform the design of school-based ABs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education and Exercise Promotion and Intervention in Children and Adolescents for Health and Wellbeing)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 748 KiB  
Article
Efficiency of an Alternative Physical Education Program for the Lower Grades of Elementary School Children
by Jovan Marković, Saša Bubanj, Goran Šekeljić, Slobodan Pavlović, Marko Radenković, Dušan Stanković, Emilija Petković, Nikola Aksović, Oliver Radenković, Adem Preljević, Bojan Bjelica, Vladan Petrović, Šćepan Sinanović and Milena Tomović
Children 2023, 10(10), 1657; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10101657 - 06 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1319
Abstract
(1) Introduction: This research was conducted with the aim of assessing whether an alternative physical education (PE) program could effectively substitute for the traditional PE curriculum and aid in accomplishing the essential goals and objectives of PE among younger elementary school children. (2) [...] Read more.
(1) Introduction: This research was conducted with the aim of assessing whether an alternative physical education (PE) program could effectively substitute for the traditional PE curriculum and aid in accomplishing the essential goals and objectives of PE among younger elementary school children. (2) Materials and Methods: This longitudinal 6-month study included third-grade elementary school children of both genders, who were healthy, lived in urban areas, and were involved in an alternative PE program, as well as the regular PE classes. The sample of participants comprised 214 students, with 105 participants in the experimental group and 109 participants in the control group, who underwent pre- and post-intervention measurements. For the purposes of this study, 11 variables were applied to assess the parameters of growth and development, motor abilities, and physical and health education. MANCOVA and ANCOVA methods were used to determine the effects resulting from the alternative and regular PE programs, and differences between the groups, respectively. The data are reported as the mean and standard deviations, and were analyzed using the statistical package SPSS version 20.0 (SPSS Inc., Armonk, NY, USA). (3) Results: Based on the research results obtained for motor abilities and physical and health education, it was concluded that both the alternative and regular PE programs had positive effects in achieving the goals and objectives of PE, but without statistical significance at the multivariate and univariate levels. The differences between the two groups were found to be negligible (effect size, ES < 0.2). (4) Discussion: Sports and PE have distinct objectives and approaches. While sports emphasize competition and winning, PE aims to impart fundamental skills and knowledge, prioritizing inclusivity among younger students. Success in PE is measured by the number of students meeting these goals, potentially affecting both talented and struggling learners. (5) Conclusions: The results obtained from the conducted research indicate that both the alternative PE program and the regular PE program influence changes in motor abilities and physical and health education to a limited extent. The alternative PE program proposed in this study, with its modifications to the structure of existing, regular PE program, can fully replace the latter in schools that do not meet the required spatial and material standards. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education and Exercise Promotion and Intervention in Children and Adolescents for Health and Wellbeing)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

11 pages, 309 KiB  
Brief Report
The Effects of a Physical Activity Intervention on Adiposity, Physical Fitness and Motor Competence: A School-Based, Non-Randomized Controlled Trial
by Andrés Godoy-Cumillaf, Paola Fuentes-Merino, Frano Giakoni-Ramírez, Daniel Duclos-Bastías, José Bruneau-Chávez and Eugenio Merellano-Navarro
Children 2024, 11(1), 137; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11010137 - 22 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1200
Abstract
Evidence suggests that early physical activity interventions are a means of preventing childhood obesity and are more effective when delivered in a school setting and based on the ecological model. Therefore, the present study aims to determine the effect of a multicomponent intervention [...] Read more.
Evidence suggests that early physical activity interventions are a means of preventing childhood obesity and are more effective when delivered in a school setting and based on the ecological model. Therefore, the present study aims to determine the effect of a multicomponent intervention based on the ecological model on adiposity, physical fitness and motor competence in children aged 4 to 5 years. Methods: This study is a non-randomized controlled trial involving 173 children from Chile. The intervention was based on an ecological model and consisted of a physical activity program with three simultaneous parts, affecting intra- and interpersonal dimensions. The adiposity index, body mass index and waist circumference were measured. For physical fitness, muscle strength in the lower part, speed/agility and cardiorespiratory fitness were measured. Motor competence was assessed using catching, aiming and dynamic and static balance tests. Results: After the intervention, there was no reduction in adiposity indices; in the intervention group, body mass index increased significantly with a high effect size. The intervention group showed significant differences in physical fitness in the components of muscle strength in the lower part (p = 0.000) and speed/agility (p = 0.002). For motor competence, the intervention group showed significant improvements in most components. Conclusions: The multicomponent intervention did not reduce adiposity indices; however, it caused significant improvements in the physical fitness and motor competence components, so it seems prudent to continue implementing it, given the benefits that adequate levels of motor competence and physical fitness bring to children’s health, both in the short and long term. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education and Exercise Promotion and Intervention in Children and Adolescents for Health and Wellbeing)
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop