Exercise effects on mental health of preschool children

Abstract

The study's purpose was to identify effects of 2.5-year movement program on mental health of preschool children, as measured by reduction in symptoms of externalizing and internalizing behavior. The sample consisted of 184 participants of both sexes, aged between 5 and 7 of which 17 were in the intervention movement program and the remaining 167 participants were chosen randomly and tested on one-time basis in their kindergartens as the comparison group. The Aberrant Behavior Questionnaire (Hošek, Momirović, & Bala, 2003) was the measure utilized to examine the symptoms of externalizing and internalizing behavior. The results indicated that all indicators of externalizing behavior were reduced in intervention group of children with remarkable pattern of changes from the initial, through transitive to the final measurement. At the same time, the intervention program had significantly weaker effects on indicators of internalizing behavior. The obtained tendencies of reduction of children's problem behavior suggest that a preventive potential of continuous, planned and regular physical activity on mental health must not be over- looked.