Hur utemiljöer påverkar förskolebarns fysiska aktivitet och solexponering i olika landskap och klimat

De fysiska miljöerna som barnen lever i börjar bli föremål för ökat intresse, inte minst utemiljöer som förskolebarn vistas i under lejonparten av sin vakna tid. Om utemiljöerna på förskolan är stora, kuperade och har en oöm växlighet som barnen använder i sin lek inverkar det fördelaktigt på barnens fysiska aktivitet och solexponering. Utan särskilda insatser utan bara för att utemiljön lockar fram det ökar den fysiska aktiviteten, mätt som antalet steg per minut med över 20%, och det är möjligt för barnen att vara ute under långa perioder utan att de riskerar brännskador i solen, oberoende av plats, landskapstyp eller klimat. Samtidigt beror det dock på policy på förskolorna i hur stor utsträckning barnen har frihet att använda sin utemiljö under fri lek

The study of children’s physical activity

Preschool children's physical activity has an important health promoter against several of the lifestyle diseases. Therefore it is important that the preschool environment encourages preschool children to a healthy physical activity. In the Kidscape project we studied preschool children's physical activity during their stay at the preschool. The aim was to identify factors in the outdoor environment that influence children's activity patterns. Activation patterns were studied with both subjective methods (CARS and qualitative observation) and objective methods (pedometri and accelerometry). The results showed that preschool children's physical activity was higher in preschools with a good schoolyard environment. Conclusion: preschool outdoor environment can promote a healthy physical activity in preschool children

Compulsory School In- and Outdoors—Implications for School Children’s Physical Activity and Health during One Academic Year

Regulated school days entail less free-living physical activity (PA) and outdoor stay, which may jeopardize the opportunities for cohesive moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and, by extension, children’s health. The role of outdoor stay during school time for pupils’ free-living PA vs. physical education (PE) and indoor stay was studied during one academic year in 196 pupils aged 7–14 years at four schools in mid-southern Sweden during five consecutive days each in September, March, and May. Actigraph GT3X+ Activity monitors were used. Predictors for PA during school stay were expressed as mean daily accelerometer counts and were measured per season, day, grade, gender, weather, and time outdoors. Overall, free-living PA outdoors generated the highest mean accelerometer counts for moderate and vigorous PA. Outdoor PA and PE, representing 23.7% of the total school time contributed to 50.4% of total mean accelerometer counts, and were the greatest contributors to moderate and vigorous PA. Age and weather impacted PA, with less PA in inclement weather and among older pupils. More time outdoors, at all seasons, would favorably increase school children’s chances of reaching recommended levels of PA