Developing connections between healthy living and environmental sustainability concepts in Cretan preschool children: A randomized trial
Teacher-designed activities help preschoolers understand connections between healthy living and environmental sustainability
The lifestyle and eating habits of people in Greece and elsewhere have changed dramatically over the past fifty years. The rate of overweight and obese children has also increased over this time period. This research project aimed to enhance young children’s knowledge of healthy eating, active play, and environmental sustainability through play-based activities, leveraging children’s popular culture interests, initiated by teachers in their preschool settings. The study also investigated if any changes in children’s eating and physical activity habits occurred and if there were any changes in child Body Mass Index (BMI) over time.
This study was conducted in Crete, Greece with 15 preschools, 31 teachers, and 329 children (age 4-5) participating. The children were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. The intervention group (N=184) received 4–6 weeks of curriculum activities framed around popular culture interests and focusing on healthy eating habits, environmental consciousness, and physical activity opportunities. Sixteen teachers working with children in the intervention group received training, researcher support, and other resources to help them develop and implement the curriculum activities. The control group, with 15 teachers and 145 children, continued with their usual curriculum. An HES assessment tool was used with the children in the intervention group at three time points during the study: before participating in the curriculum activities (T1); immediately after participation (T2); and three months later (T3). HES measures children’s knowledge about the connection between healthy living and sustainability. Additional data were collected from the parents of children in both the intervention and control groups. A demographic questionnaire – completed at T3 – collected information about the parents and the children. An additional questionnaire – completed at all three time points – reported children’s eating and physical activity within the last 24-hour period. Height and weight measurements of the children were also taken at the three time points.
An analysis of the data showed that there were no significant differences between the intervention and control groups at the beginning of the study. At both T2 and T3, however, the intervention group showed significant increases in knowledge about the connection between healthy living and sustainability. Children in this group also sustained high fruit and vegetable intake immediately after the intervention and increased levels of physical activity 3-months after the intervention, when compared to the control group. There were no significant differences in the children’s BMI scores or in the type of play observed by parents at any time point.
This research calls attention to the fact that a teacher-designed intervention can be effective in increasing children’s knowledge of health and sustainability concepts. This research also shows that “a preschool setting can play a role in health promotion and develop much needed environmental consciousness among young children.”
Citation
Kornilaki, E. N., Skouteris, H., Morris, H., (2021). Developing connections between healthy living and environmental sustainability concepts in Cretan preschool children: A randomized trial. Early Child Development and Care
