A new study revealed that preschool students who participated in a school-based education program focused on healthy diet and exercise habits had increased physical activity compared to peers who didn’t participate in the program.
Researchers say instilling healthy habits at an early age is vital to kickstarting lifelong health patterns.
“This pioneering study represents an important step in exploring the intersection of child development, cardiovascular health promotion, and primordial prevention,” study authors wrote. “We eagerly await longitudinal follow-up, data from other age groups, and outcomes related to families and schools.”
Preschool Health Study
For the study, researchers in Spain separated a collection of preschool-aged students into two groups. One group would participate in the S! Program, which focused on the child’s knowledge, attitudes and health habits, while the control group did not participate in the program. The S! Program was a three-year program, assuming the child started at age 3. 5-year-olds were in the program for one year, 4-year-olds were in the program for two years, and 3-year-olds received the full three-year course. Researchers also tracked fitness and diet trends of all students in each group.
After looking at the data, researchers uncovered:
- Overall, children in the S! Program group exhibited an 8.6 percent increase in physical activity compared to the control group.
- 3-year-olds saw the biggest differential compared to the control group, but 4- and 5-year-olds also exhibited statistically significant differences in physical activity.
- 3- and 4-year-olds also saw a significant positive difference in diet, but that was not observed in 5-year-olds who only had one year in the program.
Researchers concluded by saying they hoped to do further studies into educating kids about health habits at an early age.
Dr. Silverman comments
This is a great study that backs up the notion that we can instill healthy habits into our children at an early age. That said, it definitely doesn’t need to come from a school program. Parents are the key.
Parents need to work to teach their children healthy habits at an early age. It’s not easy, but your child (and your body) will thank you for it. Here’s a quick list of some ways to instill healthy habits.
- Take time to play outside with your child every day.
- Prepare meals before work so you aren’t tempted to pick up fast food on the way home.
- Stock the fridge with bottled water, not soda.
- Sign your child up for a sport or other physical activity, like boy or girl scouts.
- Watch what you eat, children emulate their parents!
- Be an active parent, don’t let the TV or iPad do the work.
If you have healthy habits and you work hard to pass them on to your child, they’ll have a higher likelihood of carrying those ideals into adulthood.
Related source: MedPage Today