Can Childcare Work Be Designed to Promote High Intensity Physical Activity for Improved Fitness and Health? A Proof of Concept Study of the Goldilocks Principle

Lerche, Anders Fritz; Vilhelmsen, Maja; Schmidt, Kathrine Greby; Kildedal, Rasmus; Launbo, Natja; Munch, Pernille Kold; Lidegaard, Mark; Jacobsen, Sandra Schade; Rasmussen, Charlotte Lund; Mathiassen, Svend Erik; Straker, Leon; Holtermann, Andreas

doi:10.3390/ijerph17207419

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Can Childcare Work Be Designed to Promote High Intensity Physical Activity for Improved Fitness and Health? A Proof of Concept Study of the Goldilocks Principle

Anders Fritz Lerche

^1,2,*

Maja Vilhelmsen

¹,

Kathrine Greby Schmidt

¹,

¹,

¹,

Sandra Schade Jacobsen

¹,

Charlotte Lund Rasmussen

^1,4

Svend Erik Mathiassen

⁵

Leon Straker

⁶

and

Andreas Holtermann

^1,4

The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark

Novo Nordisk Health & Safety, Novo Nordisk A/S, 2880 Bagsværd, Denmark

⁴

Department of Public Health, Section of Social Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 1165 Copenhagen, Denmark

⁵

Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, Department of Occupational Health Sciences and Psychology, University of Gävle, 801 76 Gävle, Sweden

⁶

School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(20), 7419; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17207419

Received: 12 August 2020 / Revised: 18 September 2020 / Accepted: 4 October 2020 / Published: 12 October 2020

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promotion of Healthy Work)

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Abstract

Childcare workers are reported to have high variation in physical activity during work hours, but also to sit for about half of the workday and have almost no high intensity physical activity (HIPA). No study has investigated if their work can be re-designed to introduce HIPA, thus promoting fitness and health according to the Goldilocks principle. This study investigated the feasibility of designing pedagogical games (‘Goldilocks-games’) intended to lead to more HIPA. Heart rate was measured in nineteen childcare workers during Goldilocks-games, and compared to measurements during a regular workday. Worker perceptions of feasibility, and researcher observations of contextual factors were also collected. The Goldilocks-games (33 min) elicited significantly more HIPA (18/33 min) compared to the most active period of equal length on a regular workday (0.5/33 min). Seventy-four-percent of the childcare workers reported that it was feasible to integrate the Goldilocks-games pedagogically, and seventy-two-percent could see themselves using them. Thus, we found it possible to re-design a work task in childcare according to the Goldilocks principle so that it leads to substantial time with HIPA. The sustainability of Goldilocks-games in childcare, and their effectiveness in improving fitness and health among childcare workers, needs to be tested in further studies. View Full-Text

Keywords: physical activity; sedentary behavior; childcare workers; work environment; health promotion; workplace

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MDPI and ACS Style

Lerche, A.F.; Vilhelmsen, M.; Schmidt, K.G.; Kildedal, R.; Launbo, N.; Munch, P.K.; Lidegaard, M.; Jacobsen, S.S.; Rasmussen, C.L.; Mathiassen, S.E.; Straker, L.; Holtermann, A. Can Childcare Work Be Designed to Promote High Intensity Physical Activity for Improved Fitness and Health? A Proof of Concept Study of the Goldilocks Principle. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 7419. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17207419

AMA Style

Lerche AF, Vilhelmsen M, Schmidt KG, Kildedal R, Launbo N, Munch PK, Lidegaard M, Jacobsen SS, Rasmussen CL, Mathiassen SE, Straker L, Holtermann A. Can Childcare Work Be Designed to Promote High Intensity Physical Activity for Improved Fitness and Health? A Proof of Concept Study of the Goldilocks Principle. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(20):7419. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17207419

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lerche, Anders F., Maja Vilhelmsen, Kathrine G. Schmidt, Rasmus Kildedal, Natja Launbo, Pernille K. Munch, Mark Lidegaard, Sandra S. Jacobsen, Charlotte L. Rasmussen, Svend E. Mathiassen, Leon Straker, and Andreas Holtermann. 2020. "Can Childcare Work Be Designed to Promote High Intensity Physical Activity for Improved Fitness and Health? A Proof of Concept Study of the Goldilocks Principle" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 20: 7419. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17207419

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