Purpose. The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the physical activity patterns of preschoolers aged 6-7 years. Methods. A sample of 221 preschool children (116 boys and 105 girls) aged 6 (5.92 ± 0.30) and 7 (6.91 ± 0.25) years was recruited. Physical activity was assessed over 7 consecutive days by using pedometers to determine step counts (steps/day). Accrued anthropometric data included height, mass, and BMI. Data were compared with ANOVA to determine any significant differences between age and sex groups and the part of the week (weekday/weekend); intergroup differences were evaluated with Fisher's LSD test. A < 0.05 level of significance was adopted for all statistical tests. Results. No significant differences were found between the age groups (6- and 7-year olds). Physical activity over the 7-day period was significantly greater in the boys (13318 ± 2354 steps/day) than girls (12300 ± 2750 steps/day). Mean weekday step counts were greater among boys (13800 ± 2458 steps/day) than girls (12587 ± 2802 steps/day); this difference was statistically significant. Mean weekend steps were 12112 ± 3467 and 11579 ± 3930 steps/ day for the boys and girls, respectively. Mean weekday steps were significantly greater (p < 0.001) than mean weekend steps in both groups. The recommendation of 12000 steps/day was met by 60.6% of the sample (69.0% boys, 51.4% girls). Conclusions. Sex differences in physical activity patterns were observed in the sample of preschool children. Boys, compared with girls, were characterized with a higher physical activity level on both weekdays and weekend days. Physical activity for both sexes was lower on weekend days than weekdays. The results indicate the need for improved health literacy among parents on current recommended physical activity guidelines and the suitability of a pedometer-based assessment method.
The article discusses the effect of synbiotic therapy on the qualitative and quantitative changes in colonic microbiota in preschool children with community-acquired pneumonia. A total of 33 children aged from 1 to 3 years were included in the study. All patients were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of 17 children who received standard therapy. The second group consisted of 16 patients, whose treatment was supplemented with a synbiotic preparation at a dose of one sachet per day. The assessment of colonic microbiota was conducted in 33 patients with community-acquired pneumonia before treatment and on treatment days 12–14. The control group consisted of 20 healthy age and sex-matched children. Bacteriological study of gut microflora was conducted using the Epshtein-Lytvak method. The evaluation of the microflora composition changes in children suffering from community-acquired pneumonia showed an intensification of gut microflora imbalance after standard therapy. When studying the effectiveness of the synbiotic preparation in patients with community-acquired pneumonia, it was found that the state of colon microbiocenosis in patients who received complex therapy with synbiotic drug significantly improved compared to children treated with standard regimen. Thus, of the use of synbiotic therapy in patients with community-acquired pneumonia improves or fully restores gut microflora in some cases. This preparation can serve as a safe and convenient way to restore gut microflora balance and prevent the development of gastrointestinal pathologies.
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W artykule omówiono wpływ terapii synbiotycznej na zmiany jakościowe i ilościowe w mikroflorze jelita grubego u dzieci w wieku przedszkolnym chorujących na pozaszpitalne zapalenie płuc. Badaniem objęto 33 dzieci w wieku od 1 do 3 lat. Pacjentów podzielono na dwie grupy. Pierwsza liczyła 17 dzieci otrzymujących standardowe leczenie. Do drugiej grupy włączono 16 pacjentów, u których leczenie uzupełniono podawaniem preparatu synbiotycznego w dawce jedna saszetka na dobę. Ocenę mikroflory jelita grubego u 33 pacjentów przeprowadzono przed rozpoczęciem leczenia oraz w dniach 12.–14. terapii. Do grupy kontrolnej włączono 20 zdrowych dzieci dobranych pod względem wieku i płci. Badanie bakteriologiczne mikroflory jelitowej przeprowadzono metodą Epshtein-Lytvak. Ocena zmian w składzie mikroflory u dzieci z pozaszpitalnym zapaleniem płuc wykazała nasilenie zaburzeń równowagi mikroflory jelitowej u dzieci otrzymujących standardowe leczenie. W odniesieniu do skuteczności preparatu synbiotycznego u pacjentów z pozaszpitalnym zapaleniem płuc wykazano istotną poprawę mikrobiocenozy jelitowej u dzieci otrzymujących kompleksowe leczenie uzupełnione terapią synbiotyczną w porównaniu z dziećmi leczonymi według standardowego schematu. Zatem zastosowanie terapii synbiotycznej u dzieci z pozaszpitalnym zapaleniem płuc poprawia lub w pełni przywraca prawidłową mikroflorę jelitową w pewnych przypadkach. Preparat ten można stosować jako bezpieczny i dogodny sposób przywracania równowagi mikroflory jelitowej oraz zapobiegania patologiom przewodu pokarmowego.
Background: Limited previous research has contrasted physical activity (PA) patterns in preschool children across different hourly patterns or segments of day, or adopted similar methodologies to compare the PA behaviors of children from different countries. The purpose of this study was to examine how the PA levels and patterns differed between 3- year-olds within and between childcare and homecare days in Finland and Australia. Material/Methods: ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers were used to monitor 121 (80 Finnish, 41 Australian) children’s PA for five consecutive days. Results: No significant country differences were observed in children’s daily total PA (light-tovigorous PA [LMVPA]), except that during childcare days Finnish children spent more time in light PA compared to Australian children. During childcare attendance hours children engaged in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) for an average of 48 minutes (SD = 24) covering 54% of their daily MVPA in Finland, and for 53 minutes (SD = 34) covering 64% of their daily MVPA in Australia. Variation in children’s hour-by-hour PA was more pronounced during childcare days than homecare days. Conclusions: Despite the variations based on cultural practices, no major differences were observed in children’s daily total PA between the countries. However, these findings provide a better understanding of 3-year-olds’ PA behavior patterns and will serve as valuable evidence for the development of PA promotion in preschool children in both Finland and in Australia.
Background: The purpose of the study was to evaluate motor skills of children participating and not participating in corrective gymnastics activities. It has been assumed that children participating in additional physical activities conducted in nursery school have better motor skills than those staying out of this type of activities. Material/Methods: Tests were carried out in two stages. For quantitative research a questionnaire was conducted among headmasters of nursery schools in Gdansk. The qualitative and quantitative research involved: observation, document analysis, tests of educational performance verifying the level of motor skills. A total of 286 five- and six-year-old children were recruited from different preschools (eight preschools and three primary school preschool programs in Gdansk). Results: Comparing groups of preschoolers participating and not participating in the activities of corrective gymnastics showed that among five-year-olds attending corrective gymnastics greater skills were noticed only in two of the seven tests: I - walking on a balance bench and II - crawling on an inclined balance bench. Among six-year-olds only in one test: VI - throwing a ball against the wall and catching it. Conclusions: Corrective gymnastics viewed as additional physical activity exercise in preschools does not contribute to the development of new motor skills of five- and six-year-olds.
Introduction: The main threats to the health and harmonious physical development of preschool children are overweight, obesity and abnormalities in the physique development. The aim of the study was to verify if particular (harmonious physique development and obesity prevention) PE intervention is more effective than standard PE classes for preschool children. Material and methods: Participants: The thirty healthy preschool girls (5-6 aged). All children practiced PE classes 3 times a week. Group 1 practiced the traditional PE sessions (games, gymnastic and dancing). Group 2 except games and dancing used a particular PE training (purposeful development of the shoulder girdle, upper limbs and motor abilities). The study used methods for estimating height and body weight, BMI, body composition, participants' biacromial breadth and Rees-Eysenck body index (REBI). Results: There were significant (p≤0.05) differences in BMI and biacromial breadth values between of participants' group in the study ending. Group 2 had a significantly (p≤0.05) lower BMI and a larger shoulder width values. Body composition assessment showed a significantly (p≤0.05) higher percentage of bone and muscle mass in group 2. There was a significant decrease in the participants' number of normosthenic body type in group 1. A significant increase in the participants' number of normosthenic body type and decrease in the in the participants' number of pyknic body type were found in group 2. Conclusions: PE programs related to the purposeful development of the shoulder girdle, upper limbs and motor skills contributes to the process of harmonious physique development of preschool girls (aged 5-6). An higher positive effect of using this PE practice in the control of body weight and BMI dynamics in preschool girls was found.
Acquisition of the theory of mind (TOM) is a very important milestone in the development of preschool children. TOM is especially important for the development of children’s social skills. The goal of the present study was to examine the effects of age, gender and executive functions (EF) on the acquisition of TOM. The sample in this study consisted of 116 preschool children aged 36-72 months (mean age 58.8 months, SD= 9.5 months). In relation to the child’s gender, there were 56 girls (48.3%) and 60 boys (51.7%). The Sally Anne test- a task purporting to measure TOM, was used as a dependant variable and age, gender, and EF measures were used as the predictors. Logistic regression was used as a method to determine the effects of predictors on TOM. The results of this study indicated that success on the TOM test can best be predicted by the inhibitory control, followed by verbal fluency and child’s age. The gender of the child was not associated with TOM acquisition. The overall model explained between 27% and 38% of the variance in the TOM scores. Inhibitory control is the executive function that had the greatest predictive power for the results on the theory of the mind task. The findings of this study can help early interventionists in the modification of existing preschool curricula, so that they include more activities that would foster the development of the theory of mind in preschool children. Future studies should aim to find a better model of theory of mind predictors by examining the effects of other executive function constructs, such as working memory.
The research shows that approximately 4.9% of preschool-aged children meet the criteria for ADHD. However, the diagnosis at this age is quite difficult because ADHD criteria describe symptoms of school-aged children. The diagnosis of ADHD in preschool is rarely investigated or described. However, an early diagnosis of ADHD and therapy can prevent short- and long-term consequences. The diagnostic difficulties at the preschool age are connected with the child’s dynamic development, acquired social, behavioural and cognitive capabilities. ADHD can be diagnosed in preschoolaged children on the basis of the child’s development and family interview, clinical interview including ADHD symptoms described on ICD-10 and DSM-IV-TR. An indispensable diagnostic step in ADHD is the differential diagnosis. The article emphasizes the importance of the tools which should be used during the diagnostic process. The Conners Early Childhood aids in the early identification of behavioural, social, and emotional problems for preschool children aged from 2 to 6. The CEC also assists in measuring whether or not the child is appropriately meeting major developmental milestones (Adaptive Skills, Communication, Motor Skills, Play, and Pre-Academic/Cognitive). The Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function – Preschool (BRIEF-P) is the tool for screening, assessing, and monitoring of a young child’s executive functioning and development (age from 2 to 5). The article tries to explain the difficulty of the diagnostic process in ADHD children at such a young age. Additionally, it presents some tools with which to diagnose and prescribe children at the preschool age.
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Choć rozpowszechnienie ADHD w populacji dzieci w wieku przedszkolnym wynosi około 4,9%, proces diagnostyczny w tym wieku jest trudny, gdyż kryteria diagnostyczne odzwierciedlają raczej obraz kliniczny zaburzenia w wieku szkolnym. Wciąż relatywnie mało prac poświęca się temu tematowi, mimo że wczesne rozpoznanie ADHD i interwencje terapeutyczne mogą zapobiec krótko- i długoterminowym następstwom tego zaburzenia. Trudności diagnostyczne w wieku przedszkolnym są związane z dynamicznym rozwojem dziecka, jego nabywanymi umiejętnościami społecznymi, behawioralnymi oraz poznawczymi. ADHD może być rozpoznane u dzieci w wieku przedszkolnym na podstawie szczegółowego wywiadu rozwojowego, rodzinnego, wywiadu klinicznego w kierunku objawów ADHD oraz wywiadu opartego na kryteriach diagnostycznych wg ICD-10 i DSM-IV-TR, dostosowanego do okresu rozwojowego. Niezbędnym krokiem diagnostycznym ADHD jest przeprowadzenie diagnozy różnicowej. W artykule podkreślono wagę narzędzi uzupełniających, m.in. kwestionariusza Conners Early Chilchood (CEC), przeznaczonego do wczesnej identyfikacji problemów w sferze behawioralnej, społecznej i emocjonalnej u dzieci w wieku od 2 do 6 lat. Miary CEC dotyczą 2 obszarów – zachowania oraz aspektów rozwojowych. Innym narzędziem jest Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function – Preschool (BRIEF-P), przeznaczony do oceny funkcji wykonawczych u dzieci w wieku od 2 do 5 lat. Artykuł jest próbą wyjaśnienia trudności napotykanych w diagnozowaniu ADHD u dzieci w wieku przedszkolnym oraz zwraca uwagę na złożoność procesu diagnostycznego z użyciem wybranych kwestionariuszy przeznaczonych do oceny małych dzieci.
Background. Physical activity is one of the major determinants of preschool children’s development and therefore it should be monitored constantly. The aim of this study was to compare ordinary and additional physical activity, and favourite ways of spending leisure time urban and rural preschool children. Material and methods. Questionnaires on ordinary and additional physical activity, and favourite ways of spending leisure time during sunny and rainy weather were filled in by parents of 213 children aged 3 to 6 years who attended preschools in Piła and in the villages in the district of Piła. Statistical analysis was carried out by the IBM SPSS Statistics 21 computer programme. The studied population was divided according to the variable place of residence-gender. Results. Statistically significant differences were found in the answers to five questions concerning active ways of spending leisure time at preschool, two questions concerning passive ways of spending leisure time outside preschool, three questions concerning favourite ways of spending leisure time during sunny weather and three questions concerning favourite ways of spending leisure time during rainy weather. Conclusions. The very low percentages of children from both types of preschool who took part in active ways of spending leisure time at preschool and outside preschool, especially evident in the case of children living in the countryside, shows the necessity of introducing a repair programme which should include equal and free access to physical activity for children from both town and the countryside.
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Wstęp. Z uwagi na znaczenie aktywności fizycznej dla rozwoju dziecka w wieku przedszkolnym konieczne jest jej systematyczne monitorowanie. Celem niniejszej pracy było porównanie zwykłej i dodatkowej aktywności fizycznej oraz ulubionych form spędzania czasu wolnego przez dzieci przedszkolne z miasta i wsi. Materiał i metody. Ankietę dotyczącą zwykłej i dodatkowej aktywności fizycznej oraz ulubionych form spędzania czasu wolnego podczas ładnej i deszczowej pogody wypełnili rodzice 213 dzieci w wieku od 3 do 6 lat uczęszczających do przedszkoli w Pile i wsiach powiatu pilskiego. Statystyczną analizę wyników przeprowadzono przy pomocy programu komputerowego IBM SPSS Statistics 21. Przyjęto podział badanej grupy dzieci w zależności od czynnika miejsce zamieszkania-płeć. Wyniki. Stwierdzono statystycznie istotne zróżnicowanie odpowiedzi na pięć pytań dotyczących aktywnych form spędzania czasu wolnego w przedszkolu, dwa pytania dotyczące biernych form spędzania czasu wolnego w domu, trzy pytania dotyczące ulubionych form spędzania czasu wolnego podczas ładnej pogody i trzy pytania dotyczące ulubionych form spędzania czasu wolnego podczas deszczowej pogody. Wnioski. Bardzo niski odsetek badanych dzieci z obu typów przedszkoli uczestniczący w aktywnych formach spędzania czasu wolnego w przedszkolu i poza przedszkolem, szczególnie wyraźny w przypadku dzieci wiejskich, wskazuje na konieczność podjęcia planu naprawczego uwzględniającego równy i w miarę możliwości bezpłatny dostęp do aktywności fizycznej dla dzieci przedszkolnych z wiejskich i miejskich przedszkoli.
INTRODUCTION: Amblyopia in the preschool age may lead to abnormal psychomotor development. It may result from binocular visual disorders (anisometropia, vision defects, strabismus, cataract, others) and leads to a lack of stereoscopic vision or to reduced stereoacuity in adulthood. Early detection of amblyopia can provide a chance for treatment to improve vision and for appropriate development of the child. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The examination was performed using the Randot stereotest and a set of wooden blocks. 412 girls and 398 boys in the age range of 3 to 7 years were examined. In the case of a lack of stereoscopic vision, the children were referred for an ophthalmological examination. Analyses were performed using the Cochran-Armitage and Jonckheere-Terpstry tests for trend in MedCalc and SPSS 17.0 software. RESULTS: Stereoacuity was not found in 18 (2.2%) children. Most of the examined children had a stereoacuity level of 100 seconds of arc: 76% of the 3-year-old children, 46% of the 4-year-old children and 60% of the 5-year-old children. Among the older children the highest percentage reached the stereoacuity level of 70 seconds of arc. The level of stereopsis increases with age statistically significantly. Binocular amblyopia caused by refractive errors was found in children in whom stereopsis was not found. CONCLUSIONS: The Randot stereotest turned out to be an effective tool in detecting binocular vision disorders in preschool children. The authors suggest implementing the Randot stereotest to complement the screening program to detect amblyopia in preschool children.
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WSTĘP: Zaburzenia rozwoju widzenia (niedowidzenie) mogą wynikać z zaburzeń refrakcji, wad wzroku, zeza, deformacji gałki ocznej lub przeszkód w ośrodkach optycznych (np. zaćma). Niedowidzenie u dzieci w wieku przedszkolnym może prowadzić do nieprawidłowości w rozwoju psychoruchowym. Jego wczesne wykrycie daje szansę na leczenie i prawidłowy rozwój dziecka. MATERIAŁ I METODY: Pierwszą część badania przeprowadzono za pomocą Testu Randota. Druga część badania polegała na ułożeniu przez dzieci jak najwyższej wieży zbudowanej z drewnianych klocków. Przebadano 412 dziewczynek i 398 chłopców w wieku od 3 do 7 lat. W przypadku braku widzenia stereoskopowego dzieci zostały skierowane na badanie okulistyczne. Statystyka przeprowadzona została za pomocą testów dla trendu Cochran-Armitage i Jonckheere-Terpstry przy użyciu oprogramowania MedCalc i SPSS 17.0. WYNIKI: U 18 (2,2%) dzieci stereopsji nie stwierdzono. Najwięcej dzieci osiągnęło głębię widzenia na poziomie 100 sekund kątowych: 76% 3-latków, 46% 4-latków i 60% 5-latków. Wśród starszych dzieci największa grupa osiągnęła poziom stereopsji na poziomie 70 sekund kątowych (43% 6-latków i 53% 7-latków). Wieżę z klocków prawidłowo ustawiły wszystkie dzieci (100%). Poziom stereopsji zwiększał się z wiekiem istotnie statystycznie. U dzieci bez widzenia stereoskopowego stwierdzono niedowidzenie jedno- lub obuoczne z powodu wad refrakcji. WNIOSKI: Test Randota okazał się skutecznym narzędziem w wykrywaniu zaburzeń widzenia obuocznego u dzieci przedszkolnych. Autorki sugerują wprowadzenie Testu Randota jako uzupełnienie badania przesiewowego w wykrywaniu niedowidzenia u dzieci przedszkolnych.
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