Taylor Nicola, Pringle Andy, Roscoe Clare M P
Clinical Exercise Rehabilitation Research Centre, School of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK.
Children (Basel). 2024 Dec 6;11(12):1491. doi: 10.3390/children11121491.
Early childhood education (ECE) settings play a crucial role in promoting physical and social development among children aged 3-7 years. This systematic review sought to examine the associations between characteristics of ECE outdoor environments, social interactions, physical activity, and motor competence. The secondary aim examines previously applied methods to capture children's behaviour in the context of their social and physical environment.
This review used the PRISMA framework and study quality was assessed using the mixed-methods appraisal tool (MMAT). Keyword searches were conducted in seven databases. Studies were eligible if children were aged 3-7 years in ECE; physical activity, social interactions and/or motor competence were measured; location and/or social context were measured. Results were synthesised using an effect direct plot, a table of associations, and narrative synthesis.
Twenty-three studies from eight countries met the inclusion criteria. Intervention and controlled cross-sectional studies ( = 9) favoured high-quality outdoor environments rich in affordances, portable play equipment, and natural features to increase children's physical activity, social interactions, and cooperative play. Cross-sectional and descriptive studies ( = 14) positively associated open grassy space, portable and fixed equipment, wheeled toys, and paths with physical activity ( < 0.05). Based on limited evidence, playground size and active games in small groups were associated with greater MC.
The findings highlight the benefit of creating diverse affordance rich outdoor environments in early childhood settings to promote physical and social development. Limitations include variability in study designs and protocols for conducting systematic observations, thus emphasising the need for standardised approaches to future research.
幼儿教育（ECE）环境在促进3至7岁儿童的身体和社交发展方面起着至关重要的作用。本系统综述旨在研究幼儿教育户外环境特征、社交互动、身体活动和运动能力之间的关联。次要目的是考察以往用于在社会和物理环境背景下捕捉儿童行为的方法。
本综述采用PRISMA框架，并使用混合方法评估工具（MMAT）评估研究质量。在七个数据库中进行了关键词搜索。如果儿童年龄在3至7岁之间，在幼儿教育环境中；测量了身体活动、社交互动和/或运动能力；测量了地点和/或社会背景，则这些研究符合条件。结果使用效应直接图、关联表和叙述性综合进行综合。
来自八个国家的23项研究符合纳入标准。干预性和对照横断面研究（n = 9）支持高质量的户外环境，这种环境具有丰富的功能、便携式游乐设备和自然特征，以增加儿童的身体活动、社交互动和合作游戏。横断面和描述性研究（n = 14）发现开阔的草地空间、便携式和固定设备、轮式玩具以及路径与身体活动呈正相关（P < 0.05）。基于有限的证据，操场大小和小组中的活跃游戏与更高的运动能力相关。
研究结果强调了在幼儿教育环境中创造多样化、功能丰富的户外环境以促进身体和社交发展的益处。局限性包括研究设计和进行系统观察的方案存在差异，因此强调未来研究需要标准化方法。
