Nine months of a structured multisport program improve physical fitness in preschool children : a quasi-experimental study

Popović, Boris (author), Cvetković, Milan (author), Mačak, Draženka (author), Šćepanović, Tijana (author), Čokorilo, Nebojša (author), Belić, Aleksandra (author), Trajković, Nebojša (author), Andrašić, Slobodan (author), Bogataj, Špela (author)

Research in preschool children that investigates the impact of different exercise interventions on physical fitness is limited. This pre–post study was aimed at determining if participation in a nine-month structured multisport program (MSG; n = 38) could enhance physical fitness components compared to a formal exercise program (control group (CG); n = 36) among preschool children. Physical fitness was assessed using standardized tests (the standing long jump, sit and reach, 20 m sprint, sit-ups for 30 s, bent-arm hang, medicine ball throw (MBT), grip strength, 4 × 10 m shuttle run, and 20 m shuttle run tests). The structured multisport program involved fundamental/gross and fine motor skills and ball game-based exercises twice a week. The control group was free of any programmed exercise except for the obligatory program in kindergartens. A mixed ANOVA demonstrated significant group-by-time interaction effects for the 4 × 10 m shuttle run, standing long jump, sit-ups, bent-arm hang, grip strength, and sit and reach tests (p < 0.05). There was no significant group-by-time interaction effect for the 20 m sprint test (p = 0.794) or for the 20 m shuttle run test (p = 0.549). Moreover, the MSG and CG performance in the MBT and 20 m shuttle run tests improved to a similar extent from pre- to post-test. Our results indicate that compared to the formal plan, the structured multisport program led to a sustained improvement in physical fitness in healthy 5-to-6-year old children.

• Language: English
• Keywords: exercise training, physical fitness, preschool, physical activity
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FŠ - Faculty of Sport
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: 10 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 17, iss. 14, art. 4935
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-133845
• UDC: 796.01
• ISSN on article: 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17144935
• COBISS.SI-ID: 29274883
• Publication date in RUL: 16.12.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: International journal of environmental research and public health
• Shortened title: Int. j. environ. res. public health
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1660-4601
• COBISS.SI-ID: 1818965

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 08.07.2020