Nine Months of a Structured Multisport Program Improve Physical Fitness in Preschool Children: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Boris Popović, Milan Cvetković, Draženka Mačak, Tijana Šćepanović, Nebojša Čokorilo, Aleksandra Belić, Nebojša Trajković, Slobodan Andrašić and Špela Bogataj
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Boris Popović: Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Milan Cvetković: Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Draženka Mačak: Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Tijana Šćepanović: Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Nebojša Čokorilo: Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Aleksandra Belić: Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Nebojša Trajković: Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Slobodan Andrašić: Faculty of Economics, University of Novi Sad, 24000 Subotica, Serbia
Špela Bogataj: Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-10

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: exercise training; physical fitness; preschool; physical activity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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