TITLE:
Teachers’ Perspective on a Health Promotion Intervention in Low Socioeconomic Status Kindergartens
AUTHORS:
Michal Pantanowitz, Alon Eliakim, Narmen Igbaria, Dganit Geva, Dan Nemet
KEYWORDS:
Obesity, Preschool, Exercise, Nutrition, Kindergarten Teacher, Health Promotion
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Physical Education,
Vol.6 No.4,
November
1,
2016
ABSTRACT: Obesity is the most common chronic pediatric disease in westernized, especially low socioeconomic societies. We previously demonstrated the beneficial effects of a kindergarten dietary-physical activity intervention applied by the kindergarten teachers, on nutrition and physical activity knowledge and preferences, fitness, and BMI (Body Mass Index) percentile, even one year after the end of intervention. The current article demonstrates the Kindergarten teachers’ feedback and perspectives on the intervention, a feedback that is important when planning such programs. Quantitative and descriptive feedback questionnaires were distributed to all kindergarten teachers twice, upon completion of the intervention program and one year after. Training kindergarten teachers on the importance of health promotion should be an integral part of their training curriculum. We believe that in our efforts to prevent and treat childhood obesity, a kindergarten dietary-physical activity health promotion intervention applied by kindergarten teachers may play an important role.