Online Survey on Out-of-School Participation in Physical Activity among Preschool Children in Japan

Between November 8 and November 10, 2023, the Sasakawa Sports Foundation conducted a “fact-finding survey on preschoolers’ participation in active play outside of preschool hours” among 3,114 parents of preschoolers aged three to six living throughout the country.

The purpose of this survey was to understand the details of preschoolers’ participation in physical activity outside of school hours, based on the following three components: outdoor play, indoor play, and sports lessons.

The association between preschoolers’ participation in active play and their lifestyle and growth environment (such as interactions with their parents) was also analyzed.

This survey, the first large-scale nationwide survey of preschoolers’ participation in active play, revealed that nearly half of preschoolers in Japan do not play outdoors outside of preschool hours on weekdays.

The survey results are summarized below in English. Further details are available in Japanese at the URL below.

https://www.ssf.or.jp/files/SSF_infant_r_c_2023_03.pdf

1. Background of preschool system in Japan

In Japan, preschool class placement is determined based on each child's age as of April, since the school year begins in April and ends in March. The term “4-year-olds” in the figures below refers to a group of children who are 4 years old as of April. Each type of preschool in Japan has different functions and purposes, as kindergartens are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, while nursery schools are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. According to the OECD's Education at a Glance 2023, most four- and five-year-olds (97% - 98％^*1 in 2021) attend one type of preschool.

2. Habit of regular active play

1) Frequency of outdoor play: 8.1% of preschoolers “do not play outdoors even one day a week.”

Figure 1 shows the number of days per week that preschoolers play outdoors outside of preschool hours, broken down by total, age and gender. The most common response was twice a week, at 32.8%, followed by seven days a week, at 30.3%, indicating that approximately 60% of respondents answered either twice a week or seven days a week. The percentage of preschoolers who “do not play outdoors at all” during a week was 8.1%.

[Fig.1] Number of days (per week) preschoolers play outdoors outside of preschool hours

2) Time spent playing outdoors on weekdays/weekends: 46.6% of preschoolers “do not play outdoors at all” outside of preschool hours on weekdays.

Figure 2 shows the time preschoolers spend playing outdoors outside of preschool hours on weekdays/weekends. The average hours spent playing outdoors from Monday through Friday in the previous month were calculated. For weekdays, the most common response was “0 minutes” at 46.6%, with approximately half of preschoolers not playing outdoors at all outside of preschool hours. It was also found that 30.1% of preschoolers play outdoors for 30 minutes or more.
For weekends, the most common response was “105 minutes or more” at 25.0%, followed by “60 minutes or more to less than 75 minutes” at 20.9%. These results indicate that preschoolers tend to play outdoors all at once on weekends.

[Fig. 2] Number of hours preschoolers spend playing outdoors (weekdays/weekends)

3) Experiences with fundamental motor skills:
70% of preschoolers do not experience enough of the “movement of hitting something (with a bat, racket, etc.)”, and 60% do not experience enough of the “movement of turning themselves upside down”.

To qualitatively understand the details of active play outside of preschool hours, Figure 3 shows 12 basic movements related to sports and physical activity experienced in the previous three months.

The findings are as follows:

a. Comparatively, preschoolers experience enough of the “movement of running”.

b. 70% of preschoolers do not experience enough of the “movement of hitting something”, and 60% do not experience enough of the “movement of turning themselves upside down”.

c. Preschoolers have limited opportunities to engage in play that involves balancing their bodies (equilibrium system) and the movement of operating something (operation system).

The preschool years are a crucial period for learning and developing fundamental motor skills, such as running, jumping, and throwing. During this period, it is important to provide opportunities for children to experience various motor skills through play.

[Fig. 3] Fundamental motor skills that preschoolers do not experience outside of preschool hours (n=2,903)

3. Association with growth environment, parents’ regular exercise habits, and parent-child active play

1) The association between the frequency of parents' participation in physical activity or sports and preschoolers’ total time spent in active play outside of preschool hours: Preschoolers’ active play time is longer in families where both parents participate in physical activity or sports at least once a week.

Figure 4 shows the relationship between the frequency of parents’ participation in physical activity or sports and their children’s total time spent in active play outside of preschool hours. Preschoolers’ total active play time is longer in families where both parents participate in physical activity or sports at least once a week. The total active play time among preschoolers in single-parent families, regardless of the parent's participation in physical activity or sports, is equivalent to that of preschoolers in families where both parents participate in physical activity less than once a week. It is possible that creating an environment where both parents, rather than just one, can participate in physical activity or sports at least once a week, and introducing relevant support systems to facilitate this, will be critical factors in increasing preschoolers’ active play time.

[Fig. 4] Relationship between the frequency of parents' participation in physical activity or sports and the total time preschoolers spend in active play outside of preschool hours

Note: The values are adjusted means for analysis of covariance (Covariates: child's gender, age, preschool attendance status, number of siblings, household income, parents' educational background, and participation in physical activity or sports lessons)

2) Relationship between the frequency of parents' participation in physical activity or sports and the total time preschoolers spend in active play outside of preschool hours: The more frequently preschoolers engage in active play with their parents, the more time they spend engaging in physical activity outside of preschool hours.

Figure 5 shows the total time preschoolers spend in physical activity outside of preschool hours, categorized by the frequency with which they engage in active play with their parents. Regardless of a child's age, preschool attendance status, household income or frequency of parent participation in sports, the more often parents and their children engage in active play together, the more time the children spend in active play outside of preschool hours. Statistically significant differences were observed in all categories, confirming the importance of opportunities for parents and children to engage in active play together. Awareness should be raised not only within families but also within society to create an environment that ensures opportunities for physical activity for parents and their children, as well as support for families with children.

[Fig. 5] Relationship between the frequency of parent-child active play and the total time preschoolers spend in active play outside of preschool hours

Note: The values are adjusted means for analysis of covariance (Covariates: child's gender, age, preschool attendance status, number of siblings, household income, parents' educational background, and participation in physical activity or sports lessons)

4. Summary

There is a trend of declining physical fitness and motor skills at increasingly younger ages, emphasizing the importance of physical activity from early childhood. However, there is no central institution in Japan that systematically collects research and survey data on children. As a result, there is no nationwide data available to understand the details of preschoolers’ participation in physical activity. The data from this survey is expected to contribute to the development of policies aimed at promoting children's exercise habits and improving physical fitness.

Presently, nearly half of preschoolers do not play outdoors on weekdays outside of preschool hours, and approximately one in twelve children do not play outdoors at all during the week. It was found that the frequency of parent-child active play is most clearly related to preschoolers’ prosocial behaviors. Thus, efforts to support parents in engaging in active play with their children are particularly important.

5. Methodology

[Survey title]

Online Survey on Out-of-School Participation in Physical Activity among Preschool Children (Aged Three to Six) in Japan
- Fact-finding survey on preschoolers’ participation in physical activity outside of preschool hours-

[Survey method] Online survey

[Survey target] Parents raising preschool children in Japan

[Number of valid responses] 3,144 (3-year-olds: 1,053, 4-year-olds:1,060, 5-year-olds:1,031)

[Survey items]

1）Preschoolers’ participation in physical activity: Outdoor play, indoor/in-room active play, after-school activities that involve sports, physical activity, etc.

2）Daily routines of preschoolers: Breakfast consumption, bedtime and wake-up time (weekday and weekend), etc.

3）Growth environment: Frequency of parent-child active play, bedtime and wake-up time of parents　(weekdays and weekends), etc.

4）Emotional and behavioral characteristics: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: SDQ）
Score on the Japanese version of the SDQ answered by either father or mother

5）Basic attributes (of preschool child): Nursery/kindergarten attendance status, preschool arrival and departure times, height and weight, cohabiting family members, presence of physical activity limitations, etc.

6）Basic attributes (of parents): relationship to the child, occupation, working hours, marital status, educational background, household income, etc.

[Survey period] From November 8 through November 10, 2023

[Research organizations and co-researchers]

＜SSF Lead researcher＞　

Rie Takenaga, Sasakawa Sports Foundation

＜Co-researchers＞　

Associate Professor Keisuke Komura, Faculty of Agriculture/Graduate School of Environmental and Human Science, Meijo University

Keisuke Komura - My portal - researchmap

Professor Mayumi Nagano, Faculty of International Liberal Arts, Fukuoka Women's University

Mayumi Nagano - My portal - researchmap https://scholar.google.co.jp/citations?view_op=list_works&hl=ja&hl=ja&user=Wv4K5UgAAAAJ

Reference:

*1） Education at a Glance 2023, OECD Indicators
https://doi.org/10.1787/e13bef63-en (Page 188)