Zhou Z. Effects of crawling exercises at home on improving young children's behavioral performance during the COVID-19 outbreak.
J Pediatr Nurs 2023;
73:e311-e318. [PMID:
37805378 DOI:
10.1016/j.pedn.2023.09.027]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of crawling exercises at home on improving young children's behavioral performance, thereby providing a reference for the role of physical activity in protecting and promoting behavioral development during the COVID-19 outbreak.
DESIGN AND METHODS
In total, 106 young children were included and randomly divided into the control group (51) and the experimental group (55). A 10-week exercise intervention was implemented, during which the control group engaged in rhythmic exercises, while the experimental group performed crawling exercises. The behavioral performance of young children was assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist before and after the intervention period.
RESULTS
Compared with before intervention, the behavior scores in the control group and the experimental group after intervention declined. In the control group, the internalizing behavior score, the externalizing behavior score, and the total behavioral score decreased by 1.12, 0.23 and 1.35 points, while those in the experimental group decreased by 1.78, 0.88 and 2.65 points, respectively. After the intervention, the experimental group behaved significantly better than the control group with regard to anxiety-depression and total behavioral performance (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Both crawling exercises and rhythmic exercises led to a statistically significant improvement in the behavioral performance of young children. However, owing to the inherent benefits of integrating diverse movement elements and offering adaptable levels of difficulty, crawling exercises demonstrated a more prominent influence on the behavior of young children as compared to rhythmic exercises. As such, crawling can be recommended as a form of physical exercise for young children at home when outdoor activities are not feasible due to weather changes or epidemic control measures.
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