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36PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN THE LIVES OF PARENTS OF PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN
Gabriela Antoszczuk, Anna Romanowska - Tolloczko University School of Physical Education, Poland, Wroclaw
Annotation. Health education is to help children with making the right choices in life connected with their care of their own health and health of others, in forming a healthy lifestyle and identifying their own health problems. Their childhood experiences determine their subsequent attitudes (e.g.towards a healthy lifestyle and motor activity). Perhaps in childhood, our health is formed to a larger degree than in any other period in life. In this situation the ongoing educational program called „The Kindergarten Promotes Physical Activity” directed to the kindergarten teachers and parents of pre-school children and initiated by the Health Department of the Town Office of Wrodaw is of great significance. The acquired experience and current knowledge concerning the studies carried out in Poland within the discussed scope allowed to begin a study, in the course of the program, aimed mainly at determining health behaviors connected with taking up physical activity besides professional duties by examined group of parents. A metod of a diagnostic survey was employed to gather data for the purposes of the present work. In the present paper, parents of children attending the kindergartens belonging to Wrodaw odaws Network of Kindergartens Promoting
Health took part in the study. Knowledge concerning the expressed health behaviors of parents of preschool children was gathered on the basis of the applied method of a diagnostic survey. The technique used in this work was a questionnaire. The collected research material after having been analysed thoroughly allowed to come to conclusions of which the most important one is that some health behaviors of the examined parents concerning physical activity changed although these changes are not as significant as the changes indicated in the level of their knowledge in the discussed field.
Keywords:parents, health, preschool children, education, kindergarten.
Анотація. Габриела Антосщук, Ганна Романовска-Тол-лочко. Фізична активність у житті батьків дошкільників. Здорове виховання допомагає дітям зробити правильний вибір у житті, пов’язаний з турботою як про своє здоров’я, так і про здоров’я навколишніх, а також у формуванні здорового способу життя й визначення своїх проблем, зв’язаних зі здоров’ям. Їхній дитячий досвід визначає наступне відношення до здоров ’я. Можливо в дитинстві, наше здоров’я сформоване більшою мірою, ніж у будь-який інший період життя. У цій ситуації триваюча освітня програма, названа „Дитячий сад Просуває Фізичну Діяльність”, спрямована викладачам дитячого садка й батькам дошкільників і уведена Відділом Здоров’я Міського Офісу Вроцлава має велике значення. Придбаний досвід і поточне знання щодо занять, виконаних у Польщі в межах обговорених можливостей, дозволили в ході програми почати вивчення поставлених проблем. Воно спрямовано головним чином на визначення рівня здоров’я, пов’язаного з підвищенням фізичної діяльності крім професійних обов’язків дослідженої групи батьків. Для збору даних у роботі використався метод діагностичного огляду. У даному експерименті взяли участь батьки дітей, що відвідують дитячі садки приналежні Мережі Рокоу Дитячих садків, що просувають Здоров’я. Матеріал щодо виражених типів рівня здоров’я батьків дошкільників був зібраний на основі прикладного методу діагностичного огляду. У цій роботі використалося анкетне опитування. Зібраний матеріал дослідження був повністю
проаналізований. Установлено взаємозв’язок зміни рівня здоров’я досліджених щодо фізичної зміненої діяльності. Ці зміни не настільки істотні як зміни, позначені в рівні їхнього знання в обговореній області. Ключові слова: батьки, здоров’я, дошкільники, виховання, дитячий садок.
Аннотация. Габриэла Антосщук, Анна Романовска-Тол-лочко. Физическая активность в жизни родителей дошкольников. Здоровое воспитание помогает детям сделать правильный выбор в жизни, связанной с заботой, как о своем здоровье, так и о здоровье окружающих, а также в формировании здорового образа жизни и определения своих проблем, связанных со здоровьем. Их детский опыт определяет последующее отношение к здоровью. Возможно в детстве, наше здоровье сформировано в большей степени, чем в любой другой период в жизни. В этой ситуации продолжающаяся образовательная программа, названная „Детский сад Продвигает Физическую Деятельность”, направленная преподавателям детского сада и родителям дошкольников и введенная Отделом Здоровья Городского Офиса Вроцлава имеет большое значение. Приобретенный опыт и текущее знание относительно занятий, выполненных в Польше в пределах обсужденных возможностей, позволили в ходе программы начать изучение поставленных проблем. Оно направлено главным образом на определение уровня здоровья, связанного с повышением физической деятельности помимо профессиональных обязанностей исследованной группы родителей. Для сбора данных в настоящей работе использовался метод диагностического обзора. В данном эксперименте приняли участие родители детей, посещающих детские сады, принадлежащие Сети Рокоу Детских садов, продвигающих Здоровье. Материал относительно выраженных уровней здоровья родителей дошкольников был собран на основе прикладного метода диагностического обзора. В этой работе использовался анкетный опрос. Собранный материал исследования был полностью проанализирован. Установлена взаимосвязь изменения уровня здоровья исследованных относительно физической измененной деятельности. Эти изменения не столь существенны как изменения, обозначенные в уровне их знания в обсужденной области.
Ключевые слова: родители, здоровье, дошкольники, воспитание, детский сад.
Streszczenie. Gabriela Antoszczuk, Anna Romanowska -Tolloczko. Aktywnosc fizyczna w zyciu rodzicow dzieci w wieku przedszkolnym. Edukacja zdrowotna ma pomoc dzieciom w podejmowaniu odpowiednich wyborow zyciowych, zwi^zanych z trosk^ o zdrowie wlasne i innych, w ksztaltowaniu zdrowego stylu zycia i identyfikacji wlasnych problemow zdrowotnych. Doswiadczenia wyniesione z okresu dziecinstwa determinuj^ pozniejsze jego postawy (np. wobec zdrowego stylu zycia i aktywnosci ruchowej). Byc moze w dziecinstwie, bardziej niz w jakimkolwiek innym okresie zycia, dochodzi do ksztaltowania naszego zdrowia. W tej sytuacji duzego znaczenia nabiera realizowany w inicjatywy Wydzialu Zdrowia Urzedu Miasta Wroclawia program edukacyjny dla nauczycieli wychowania przedszkolnego i rodzicow dzieci w wieku przedszkolnym pt. „Przedszkole promuje aktywnosc fizyczn^” . Zdobyte doswiadczenia oraz aktualna wiedza na temat badan prowadzonych w Polsce w omawianym zakresie pozwolily podczas trwania programu podj^c badania, ktorych podstawowym celem bylo okreslenie zachowan zdrowotnych zwi^zanych z
podejmowaniem aktywnosci fizycznej poza obowi^zkami zawodowymi przez badan^ grupe rodzicow. W celu zebrania danych do prezentowanej pracy zastosowano metode sondazu diagnostycznego. W prezentowanej pracy, osoby bior^ce udzial w badaniu to rodzice dzieci uczeszczaj^cych
do przedszkoli obj^tych Wroclawsk^. Sieci^ Przedszkoli Promuj^cych Zdrowie. W oparciu o zastosowan^ metod^ sondazu diagnostycznego gromadzona byla wiedza na temat deklarowanych zachowan zdrowotnych rodzicow dzieci wieku przedszkolnego. Technik^ wykorzystan^. w niniejszej pracy byla ankieta. Zebrany material badawczy pozwolil po wczesniejszej wnikliwej analizie na wysuni^cie wnioskow, z ktorych najwazniejszy to ten, iz ulegly zmianie niektore zachowania zdrowotne badanych rodzicow w zakresie aktywnosci fizycznej choc zmiany te nie s^. tak znacz^ce jak zaobserwowane zmiany w poziomie ich wiedzy w omawianym obszarze.
Slowa kluczowe: rodzicow, zdrowie, dzieci w wieku przedszkolnym, edukacja, przedszkole promuje.
Introduction
People’s freedom to choose a given lifestyle is limited by their social position in the social structure, their situation in life, values inculcated in them during the process of socialization and by tradition. Perhaps our health is formed in our childhood, more than in any other period of life. Children acquire many habits which may affect their state of health; sometimes such habits may be advantageous but sometimes harmful. Therefore, in this period of life there is a huge demand for health promotion and health education. Parents, teachers and staff of medical care units should be encouraged to be professionally prepared and effective while helping children with making pro-health choices. Assisting a family with shaping health-promoting individual properties of their members means first of all providing relevant knowledge and skills. Such was the aim of the educational program for kindergarten teachers and parents of pre-school children entitled: „The Kindergarten Promotes Physical Activity”. The proposed program was directed to both kindergarten teachers and parents of children attending a kindergarten.
One should also mention at this point that the program was directed to the participants of Wroclaw’s Network of Kindergartens Promoting Health who were examined many times in the course of the program. For two years the participants took part in many other educational programs, workshops, and campaigns, too.
The presented research results do not refer only to the changes taking place in the course of realization of the program called „The Kindergarten Promotes Physical Activity” but existing changes which appeared due to the participation in Wroclaw’s Network of Kindergartens Promoting Health. The main objective of the presented research results was to determine the changes in the level of health behaviors connected with taking up physical activity beside professional duties by the examined group of parents.
Methods and Organization of the Study
A method of a diagnostic survey was used to collect data for the present work. In this paper, the participants of the study were the parents of children attending the kindergartens of Wroclaw’s Network of Kindergartens Promoting Health. On the basis of the used metod, the material concerning health knowledge
and behaviors connected with taking up physical activity of parents of pre-school children was gathered.
The technique applied in this work was a questionnaire. The questionnaire of the survey, used for the purposes of the study which enabled the development of this article, included a recording and ordering part which served as an indispensable supporting material.
The characteristics of the examined group
Demographic nad social characteristic of the examined group may be outlined on the basis of interpretation of results obtained from the analysis of the metric part of the survey questionnaire. The objective of the developed characteristic of the examined group was to obtain basic information about the respondents. The characteristic aimed at identifying: sex, age, background, and education of the examined parents. The profession of the examined and the financial situation of their families were to be determined as well. Obtaining this kind of data is vital to verification of answers given by respondents in the further part of the study. Those parents who expressed their consent to their participation in the study and simultaneously met two basic conditions (see below) took part in it.
In the presented characteristic of the examined group, as well as in the analysis of research results a qualitative analysis of the collected empirical material will be carried out.
The study was conducted at the beginning of the year 2004 in the kindergartens belonging to Wroclaw’s Network of Kindergartens Promoting Health. The study covered the group of 102 parents of children aged 5-6 (88 women and 14 men).
The analysis of results concerning evaluation of level of health behaviors in relation to physical activity shown by parents of pre-school children.
The results based on the study in the group of adult inhabitants of Wroriaw focus on one of the elements of health behaviors, that is physical activity. Physical activity (motorial activity) is an integral component of life. The physical activity of interest to the author concerned taking up various recreative activities during leasure time, while being with one’s child, at weekends and on holidays. The first element to be evaluated were forms of spending leasure time by examined adults. The behavior of examined parents in their free time represents different forms. Out of the six given categories of spending free time, the most frequently selected ones among examined parents were walks - 65% and cycling - 41%. The vast majority of the examined claimed they took up sport and recreation activities in their free time. Similar results were obtained in the examined group during the study carried out in the year 2002. In 2002 edition most parents said they spent their free time on active recreation during walks and while cycling.
The forms of spending time with a child changed significantly both at home and outdoors. In
2002 parents were involved during their time at home mainly in watching TV with their children (92%). Nowadays, while looking after children at home their parents concentrate on playing with them (78%) and drawing (63%). Other activities comprise: watching TV (57%) and participation in board games (55%). Outdoors parents with their childeren spent time on walks ( 69%) and at the playground (65%).
According to the results of the present study, a form of relaxation popular among parents of pre-school children is still watching TV. Each month TV was watched every day by 55% of the examined adults, or several times per week by 31%. Whereas TV was not watched at all by merely 4% of respondents. 32% of the examined watched TV from 2 to 3 hours and more than 4 hours per day.
In the 2002 study, adults who spent more than 2 hours watching TV represented a group of 65% of the examined parents. At present, 48% of respondents claim they spend from 30 minutes to 2 hours in front of TV
every day.
The obtained results indicate that besides their professional duties a vast majority of respondents spent their time on recreation activities every week although its amount according to the WHO guidelines is observed by a small group. The time in a day spent on active recreation among the examined parents varied. Among adults, 33% spent less than 30 minutes on their favorite activities, and 18% spent less than one hour on them. 23% of the examined were able to find up to two hours for active recreation. 12% of the examined did not spend any time at all on recreation. Among the examined parents, the time spent on active recreation every week was as follows: 5% did not take part in it at all, 22% spent on it less than 1 hour, 18% spent on it less than 2 hours, and 30% claimed they spent 4 to 5 hours per week on sport and recreation. Usually, when children are in a pre-school age families spend their holidays together. On holidays and at home the examined parents concentrate mainly on the following activities: cleaning
78%
playing with board watching TV drawing a child games
Diagram 1. Ways of spending free time with a child by examined parents
Diagram 2. Recreation and sport forms of spending free time according to examined parents
2-3h
3-4h
6%
do not spend any time on watching TV 12%
1-2h
20%
less than 30 min. 30%
31 - 1h
28%
Diagram 3. Amount of time in daytime spent on watching TV by examined parents
/67%/i
67
66
65
64
63
62
61
n
/63%/
cleaning reading watching TV
Diagram 4. Activities performed by respondents during holidays at home.
(67%), reading (65%), watching TV (63%); outdoors: trips (37%), walking (65%), cycling (41%), swimming (31%) (Diagram 2).
The examined adults had an opportunity to give more than one answer, therefore the percentage of respondents giving answers is not 100.
Conclusions
The collected research material allowed the author to come to the following conclusions:
A vast majority of the examined parents claimed to be taking up sport and recreative activities in their free time. Although the amount of time the examined adults assign on physical activity is not sufficient for maintaining health one should emphasize the fact of a major change in the forms of spending
free time with a child both at home and outdoors. At present, the examined parents spend more time on playing with their child than watching TV as they claimed in the 2002 edition of the study.
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Came to edition 14.07.2007.
