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Physical Education, Exercise, and Children’s Health

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Exercise and Health-Related Quality of Life".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 2648

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Education, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3605, Chile
Interests: school physical education; health and quality of life; teaching-learning; teacher training; physical activity and health

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Education, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3605, Chile
Interests: school physical education; health and quality of life; motricity; childhood obesity; physical exercise in childhood

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Education, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3605, Chile
Interests: school physical education; health and quality of life; ecological model; childhood obesity and physical exercise in childhood

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Participation in successful physical education classes and school-age physical activity programs has a significant impact on the health and quality of life of children and adolescents. Increasing the supply of healthy activities at the school age is an effective, low-cost strategy whose benefits transfer into adulthood. The aforementioned aspects provide evidence of significant impacts on cognitive functions, school performance, health-related physical condition, the development of socioemotional skills, the reduction of sedentary behaviors that, among other diseases, generate obesity and some types of cancer. An adequate and varied quantity of exercise can also help children with their physical literacy, in addition to fostering an environment in which activities are normalized. 

The importance of physical education classes in school provides benefits in areas ranging from the physical and motor development of children, the improvement of general health and, consequently, the reduction of the risk of disease. 

At school age, a higher level of physical activity contributes to improving lipid and metabolic profiles and to reducing the prevalence of obesity. Therefore, from a public health and preventive medicine perspective, promoting physical activity in childhood provides a solid foundation for reducing the prevalence of sedentary lifestyles in adulthood, thus contributing to a better quality of life.

Prof. Dr. Alejandro Almonacid-Fierro
Dr. Rodrigo Vargas-Vitoria
Dr. Eugenio Merellano-Navarro
Guest Editors

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. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 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 2500 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

  • physical education
  • childhood health
  • motor performance
  • physical exercise
  • quality of life
  • physical activity
  • childhood
  • academic performance

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 372 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Influence of a Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Program on Childhood Well-Being: A Comparative Study in Primary School Students
by Lilyan Vega-Ramírez
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(4), 418; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21040418 - 29 Mar 2024
Viewed by 964
Abstract
Childhood is a crucial stage of human development in which the lifestyles children adopt can have a significant impact on their well-being throughout their lives. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the healthy habits and Body Mass Index (BMI) [...] Read more.
Childhood is a crucial stage of human development in which the lifestyles children adopt can have a significant impact on their well-being throughout their lives. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the healthy habits and Body Mass Index (BMI) of students from a primary school that participated in a program to promote physical activity and healthy eating one year earlier with other students from two schools that had not participated in this type of program. We analyzed a sample of 287 Spanish students, aged between 8 and 12 years. A survey of healthy habits was completed, and anthropometric data were taken to determine their Body Mass Index (BMI). The questionnaire data indicated that there are some significant differences (p = ≤ 0.05) in the consumption of some unhealthy foods between the evaluated groups. An amount of 11% of the sample was considered obese and 26% were overweight; no significant differences were found between the groups. This study suggests that the healthy habits strategy implemented by a school improves pupils’ habits, especially in reducing the consumption of unhealthy foods. Despite the positive effects, the data indicate that these programs fall short of government recommendations, particularly in areas such as physical activity and certain dietary choices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education, Exercise, and Children’s Health)
13 pages, 1004 KiB  
Article
Changes in Motor Competence of 4–8-Year-Old Children: A Longitudinal Study
by Pim Koolwijk, Ester de Jonge, Remo Mombarg, Teun Remmers, Dave Van Kann, Ingrid van Aart, Geert Savelsbergh and Sanne de Vries
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(2), 190; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21020190 - 07 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1218
Abstract
Objectives: The development of children’s motor competence (MC) from early to middle childhood can follow different courses. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to describe and quantify the prevalence of patterns of MC development from early to middle childhood and to identify [...] Read more.
Objectives: The development of children’s motor competence (MC) from early to middle childhood can follow different courses. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to describe and quantify the prevalence of patterns of MC development from early to middle childhood and to identify undesirable patterns. Design: The study used a longitudinal design. Data were collected in three consecutive years, between February 2020 (T0) and May 2022 (T2). Methods: A total of 1128 typically developing Dutch children (50.2% male) between 4 and 6 years old at baseline (M = 5.35 ± 0.69 years) participated in this study. MC was measured with the Athletic Skills Track and converted into Motor Quotient (MQ) scores. To convert all individual MQ scores into meaningful patterns of MC development, changes in MQ categories were analyzed between the different timepoints. Results: A total of 11 different developmental patterns were found. When grouping the different patterns, five undesirable patterns were found with 18.2% of the children, showing an undesirable pattern of MC development between T0 and T2. The patterns of motor development of the other children showed a normal or fluctuating course. Conclusions: There is a lot of variation in MC in early and middle childhood. A substantial percentage of young children showed undesirable MC developmental patterns emphasizing the need for early and targeted interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education, Exercise, and Children’s Health)
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