Occupational therapy: supporting a pre-school childcare setting to promote physical activity as a healthy occupation for life!

Bell, Florence Armstrong (2017) Occupational therapy: supporting a pre-school childcare setting to promote physical activity as a healthy occupation for life! British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 80 (S8). pp. 106-107.

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Abstract

Early childhood experiences, including physical activity (PA), are crucial in establishing the foundations for health and wellbeing throughout the lifespan (Macdonald et al., 2006; The Lancet, 2013). PA contributes to children’s physical, cognitive, social and emotional development, while physical inactivity (PiA) can have significant adverse effects on children’s health and development, with consequent impacts on occupational performance and participation (Tucker, 2008). Recent research concluded that PiA is one of the top ten risk factors to health for adults in England (Newton et al., 2015). There is evidence that time spent in childcare can have negative impacts on the amount of time spent doing PA (Bellows et al., 2013), reducing the likelihood of developing PA as an occupation through the lifespan. This participatory action research project explores the impact and effectiveness of providing occupational therapy support to staff in a private child-care setting to facilitate the promotion of PA as an occupation to pre-school year children. A student occupational therapist will work with nursery management and staff to help them identify what support they would find useful in promoting PA as an occupation to the children in their care and implementing this over a period of 6 weeks. The impacts and effectiveness of the support provided will be measured by a specially developed reflective workbook and by analysis of focus groups held with the setting staff.

Item Type:	Article
Journal / Publication Title:	British Journal of Occupational Therapy
Publisher:	SAGE Publications / College of Occupational Therapists
ISSN:	1477-6006
Departments:	Academic Departments > Health, Psychology & Social Studies (HPSS) > Rehabilitation
Additional Information:	Abstract from Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) Annual Conference, Birmingham, 19-20 June 2017 (poster abstract: P102).
Depositing User:	Anna Lupton
Date Deposited:	28 Sep 2017 11:46
Last Modified:	12 Jan 2024 18:15
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/3232

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