Abstract:
Many Irish primary school children do not meet recommended physical activity (PA) guidelines. The Daily Mile (TDM) is a primary school initiative designed to increase children\'s PA output. This study evaluates TDM\'s perceived effect on Irish primary school children\'s health-related metrics. A mixed-methods study, comprising two data collection phases, used the RE-AIM framework to evaluate TDM. Phase One involved teachers, principals and classroom assistants (n = 191) from TDM-registered schools completing a questionnaire. Two TDM-registered schools participated in Phase Two, where (i) interviews were conducted with each principal, (ii) a teacher sub-sample (n = 4) participated in a focus group, and (iii) a child sub-sample (n = 14) participated in separate focus groups. TDM was perceived to positively impact the markers of children\'s health, including their PA behaviour, physical fitness and social well-being. Inclement weather (66.5%) and a lack of time (56.5%) were reported as the top-ranked implementation barriers. Moreover, TDM\'s repetitive nature often left children feeling disinterested and resulted in some teachers modifying the initiative to maintain engagement levels. Maintaining the long-term implementation of TDM and its health benefits in primary schools may require bespoke amendments to the original format to preserve children\'s engagement.
摘要:
许多爱尔兰小学生不符合建议的体育锻炼(PA)准则。每日英里(TDM)是一项旨在增加儿童PA输出的小学计划。本研究评估了TDM对爱尔兰小学生健康相关指标的感知效果。混合方法研究,包括两个数据收集阶段,使用RE-AIM框架评估TDM。第一阶段涉及教师,来自TDM注册学校的校长和课堂助理(n=191)填写问卷。两所TDM注册学校参与第二阶段,其中(I)与每位校长进行了面谈,(二)一个教师子样本(n=4)参加了一个焦点小组,和(iii)儿童子样本(n=14)参加了单独的焦点小组。TDM被认为对儿童健康的标志物有积极影响,包括他们的PA行为,身体健康和社会福祉。据报道,恶劣天气(66.5%)和缺乏时间(56.5%)是排名第一的实施障碍。此外,TDM的重复性常常使孩子感到不感兴趣,并导致一些教师修改主动性以保持参与度。保持TDM的长期实施及其在小学的健康益处可能需要对原始格式进行定制修订,以保持儿童的参与。