Evaluation of impact on physical health intervention in preschool children in Kunshan,Jiangsu

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of physical health intervention in preschool children in Kunshan City so as to promote their physical development.MethodsStratified cluster sampling was used to recruit preschoolers aged 3-6 years old in 10 kindergartens as study subjects. They were divided into intervention group and control group. The intervention group received physical health intervention and the control group received routine health care. They were measured pre-and post-intervention.ResultsA total of 1 840 subjects was recruited in this study, including 764 in the intervention group and 1 076 in the control group. After the intervention, the physical fitness score of the intervention group(28. 56 ±4. 15) was higher than that of the control group(25. 25 ±4. 45)(t=17. 66,P<0. 005). The number of excellence in preschool children's physical fitness in the intervention group was 269, accounting for 26. 70%, which was much higher than that in the control group(68, accounting for 6. 32%). 70 children were rated as unqualified in the intervention group, accounting for 9. 16%, which was far lower than that in the control group(300, accounting for 27. 88%)(χ²= 252. 18, allP< 0. 005). Analysis of the changes of individual indicator score showed that continuous two feet jumping increased the most, followed by the balance beam walking, and ten meters round trip running increased the least.ConclusionAdvocacy of the importance of children' s physical health should be strengthened. In addition, rational arrangement of children' s physical courses in school and guiding children to take much physical exercise should be reinforced in order to improve children' s physical fitness.