The PRAIS Foundation, initiator of the national movement “I’m living healthy, too!” – SETS, presents the results of the study conducted by doctor Pooja Tandon and his team at the Seattle Children’s Research Institute, carried out on 9,000 children aged between 4 and 5 years – a sample representing 4 million children in this age group. The study assessed how often preschool children play outdoors and what factors influence their playing time. Research has focused on parents, because they are the ones who influence children’s habits, even when they are in kindergarten.

The research results show that:

• preschoolers do not play often enough outdoors;
• about half of preschool children do not even have an opportunity to play outdoors every day;
• mothers take children out to play more often than fathers;
• mothers who exercise more than 4 times a week are more inclined to take children out to play every day;
• girls prefer to play outdoors less than boys;
• preschoolers who have at least 3 regular friends have a greater desire to play outside each day.

“Even when the parents can not take children out to play, for logistical or time-related reasons, they can make requests to kindergartens for daily outdoor play”, stated Doctor Pooja Tandon, in a press release. The study was published in the online journal „Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine”.

The interventions of the SETS national movement in  primary school classes from 215 different schools in Bucharest and Roman confirmed the need and desire of children to move and play in the open air. More than 4,000 pupils, along with coordinating teachers, volunteered to create 100 “Sport and entertaiment clubs”, in which they carry out various physical activities in their spare time, which afterwards they enroll in the contest, uploading them on www.sets.ro, in the SETS Clubs section.

“We invite parents to get informed and get involved directly in finding solutions for children to do physical activities daily: 10 minutes of morning gymnastics in front of the window, a quick walk or a ride on rollerblades, 30 minutes playing ball or an easy run. We worry when we see our children tired, pale or hyperactive. We do not find ways to solve their overweight. The family, the school, the community can intervene, promoting at kindergarten, at school and at home the benefits of everyday physical and recreational activities that are so necessary for the harmonious development of children. Combined with a varied and balanced diet focused on eating fresh fruit and vegetables, staying hydrated, they will be able to prevent childhood obesity and combat the effects of stress caused by time spent inside the house, on television or on the computer. ” said Silvia Bucur, President of the PRAIS Foundation.