Online preschool teacher training to promote physical activity in young children: A pilot cluster randomized controlled trial.

Abstract

This study tested the Wellness Enhancing Physical Activity in Young Children (WE PLAY) program, a 4-week online preschool teacher training, on children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). In this cluster RCT, six Head Start preschools were randomized to an intervention and comparison group. Children's MVPA was measured using accelerometers at pre-and posttest. The magnitude of the difference in MVPA between groups at posttest was small, but in the expected direction: ⌬ min/hour ϭ 1.60, 95% CI [Ϫ0.97, 4.18], p ϭ .22, Cohen's d ϭ 0.32. We observed a pre/post within group increase in average minutes per hour of MVPA in school with a medium effect size for the intervention group: ⌬ mean min/hour ϭ 2.09, 95% CI [0.51, 3.67], p ϭ .0096, Cohen's d ϭ 0.42. An increase was not seen for the comparison group: ⌬ mean min/hour ϭ 0.44, 95% CI [Ϫ0.70, 1.59], p ϭ .45, Cohen's d ϭ 0.07. WE PLAY children in 6 hr/day programs gained 63 min of MVPA per week in school, providing preliminary evidence of the benefits of WE PLAY on children's physical activity levels. WE PLAY deserves further testing with larger groups of children and teachers. Impact and ImplicationsPhysical activity is critical for children's physical and emotional well-being and cognitive functioning, yet many children need help from adults to be more active. The Wellness Enhancing Physical Activity for Young Children (WE PLAY) online teacher professional development program was developed to support the knowledge, confidence, and skills of early childhood educators so they can lead active play every day with their students. This study found that children whose teachers completed WE PLAY training engaged in higher levels of moderateto-vigorous physical activity at posttest relative to pretest, and those changes were not observed in a comparison group.

Impact of cocreation training capsules for preschool teachers on children’s healthy habits: a pilot study conducted in Barcelona, Spain

“…Our pilot study integrated four dimensions to promote health during preschool through training for teachers following a holistic health concept. This clearly contrasts with previous studies that have involved only one dimension, such as nutrition [ 28 , 42 ], physical activity [ 30 , 37 , 38 , 68 ], hygiene [ 31 ], or emotional education [ 34 ]. Other studies have combined two of these elements, namely, nutrition and physical activity [ 69 ] or nutrition and emotional health [ 33 ].…”

“…Lunches were brought from home and could also be related to the likelihood of primary caregivers reviewing and modifying their practices [ 42 ] and thus to their inclusion in our cocreation process. In the physical activity and body awareness dimension, we linked our discrete results with the lack of space and equipment [ 38 ], which challenged teachers in promoting physical activity, although personal and structural barriers at both the individual teacher and broader systems levels could also be involved [ 37 ]. Finally, we should also consider that this dimension was relegated to lower levels of prioritization in the diamond technique during the cocreation sessions.…”

Effect of capacity building interventions on classroom teacher and early childhood educator perceived capabilities, knowledge, and attitudes relating to physical activity and fundamental movement skills: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Interestingly, the effect of the capacity building intervention was largely consistent across modalities including in-person, live online workshops, and e-learning modules [ 87 ]. However, findings relating to the effectiveness of virtual capacity building interventions from the current review were mixed, with some studies showing that virtual interventions may be effective [ 69 ], while others had mixed or null findings [ 71 , 73 ]. Given the potential reach and cost effectiveness of delivering capacity building interventions online, further research is warranted to examine the effectiveness of online interventions.…”

Combatting Sedentary Behaviors by Delivering Remote Physical Exercise in Children and Adolescents with Obesity in the COVID-19 Era: A Narrative Review

“…The restrictive measures adopted are extremely relevant for the reduction of the COVID-19 spread [78,121], so new strategies, compatible with lockdown periods, must be found to increase the PA levels in these children [59]. In light of this, a possible tool, already shown to be effective [4,60,97,122] and applied both to healthy children and to children affected by different pathologies [123,124], including obesity [60,125], is the practice of physical exercise via online channels, even in the form of interactive video games [60,126,127].…”