Viðhorf barna til hreyfingar

Abstract

Physical activity among children seems to be diminishing around the world. This can be traced to modern life which is characterized by sedentary lifestyles, produced by a technological development. The World Health Organisation has identified children’s inactivity as a major public health problem (WHO, 2002). To be able to increase physical activity there needs to be more understanding of the ways physical activity affects children’s lives. The aim of the study was to explore children’s and parents’ views and beliefs about physical activity and health. This was done by identifying the factors that influence physical activity among children through examining children’s and parents’ own accounts of the place of physical (in)activity in children’s live. Qualitative research method was thought to be appropriate to get this information using focus groups, analysed by grounded theory. Literature reveals an extensive amount of research on the effects of physical activity on children. These studies however are mostly done on children and not with children. As a result there is a shortage of their perspectives. This study seeks to fill a gap in this knowledge by focusing on children’s and parent experience and beliefs. The findings of this study suggest a holistic approach to physical activity. Children want to be active and need to be given the opportunity to do so. Collaboration from all concerning parties, including children, is needed to create environments that enable and encourage physical activity. Increasing physical activity in childhood by establishing a safe and stimulating environment could be seen as an important factor in public health strategy.

Hreyfingarleysi meðal barna er vaxandi áhyggjuefni sem og hugsanleg áhrif þess á lýðheilsu þjóða. Alþjóða Heilbrigðisstofnunin (WHO 2002) áætlar að minna en einn þriðji ungs fólks fái þá hreyfingu sem þarf til að halda góðri heilsu í nútíð og til framtíðar. Til að snúa þessari þróun við hafa yfirvöld víða um heim lagt mikla áherslu á að grípa til aðgerða í þeim tilgangi að auka hreyfingu meðal barna. Hreyfingarleysi barna hefur verið mikið til umræðu á Vesturlöndum og fjöldi rannsókna framkvæmdar til að varpa ljósi á vandann. Þessar rannsóknir sýna ýmsar hliðar á ástæðunum og hugsanlegum afleiðingum hreyfingarleysis. Rannsóknirnar hafa að mestu verið gerðar á börnum en ekki með þeim og því hafa skoðanir og reynsla barna af ástæðum/afleiðingum hreyfingarleysis lítt verið skoðaðar. Afleiðingar þessa eru að ekki er nægjanleg þekking á skoðunum barna á hreyfingu en rannsóknir með börnum hljóta þó að vera grundvöllur þess að við öðlumst frekari skilning á þörfum þeirra og meiningum. Upplýsingarnar sem þannig fengjust væri svo hægt að nota við stefnumótun og íhlutanir til að auka hreyfingu meðal barna.