Kliziene,Cizauskas,Sipaviciene 2021

In this study, a pre-/mid-/post-test experimental methodology was utilized, in order to avoid any interruption of educational activities, due to the random selection of children in each group. The experimental group (First andSecond Grades) was trialled for eight months. The technique for the physical education program wasdeveloped, and a model of educational factors that encourage physical activity for children was constructed.

Data (that is, completion of the decided-upon questionnaires regarding mental health and wellness) were collected during 3 different times (before the specialized exercise program began, during, and after they concluded it), and results were compared to each other. The group doing the specialized exercise program, consisting of increased physicalactivity, was followed for 8 months. The exercise carried out by this group was decidedup ahead of time and included different modes of exercise, such as running, games and post-exercise reflection. This program also included ways to make the children more enthusiastic about exercise and more in tune with their individual improvements.

Physical activity and exercise have positive effects on mood and anxiety, and a great number of studies have described the associations between physical activity and general well-being, mood, and anxiety [18].

Adding exercise to one’s life can make a person feel better in so many amazing ways! Research indicates that exercise is like an anti-depressant; it decreases anxiety, elevates one’s mood, and makes a person feel better about their life.

When dealing with the personality anxiety results, we established that in the pre- and post-test, the results of CG students were not statistically significantly different (3.10 ± 0.85 points and 2.86 ± 0.67 points, respectively; F = 0.127, p > 0.05, P = 0.057). When analysing the pre- and post-test EG personality anxiety results, after the intervention programme, the EG personality anxiety results decreased (2.93 ± 0.93 points vs. 2.51 ± 1.00 points, respectively; F = 6.498, p < 0.05, P = 0.758; Figure 1b).

Upon comparing questionnaire scores focused on anxiety levels of the control group (the children who did not experience the specialized exercise program) from before and after the trial period of 8 months, the authors found that their anxiety levels did not change. However, upon comparing questionnaire scores of anxiety levels of the experimental group (the children who did experience the specialized exercise program) from before and after the trial period 8 months, the authors found that their anxiety levels decreased significantly! This means that increased exercise in children has a positive effect on their mental health!

The outcomes of this study showed that the proposed procedure for a physical education program and educational model encouraging physical activity in children had an impact on three primary dimensions—somatic anxiety, personality anxiety, and social anxiety—for children aged 6–7 and 8–9 years.

This study shows that increased physical activity in young children can play a huge role in reducing their somatic complaints (that is, complaints of pain), personality anxiety (being unsure about themselves), and social anxiety (being scared of approaching their peers or speaking up in class). It also shows that these positive changes only require 8 months of exercise to occur.

Future studies should include an investigation of the effects of this exercise program in older children, along with a continued prospective study of the age group used in this study. Further, this study was performed in schools limited to Lithuania; to expand on this study, children from other countries (and settings) must be included to better interpret the extent of these results.

Although I find questionnaires to be a useful tool in studies like these, I have found that, given the mode of data collection, it can have some inherent bias. As such, a study like this could increase its strength by double-blinding questionnaire data collection and measurement, and including non-questionnaire based parameters, such as including measurements of cortisol or other stress-linked molecules.