Get set for life! : promoting physical activity and healthy eating habits in kindergarten church schools

Abstract

The early years educators and other school staff are considered as important collaborators to help the children develop and adopt knowledge and skills to enjoy a healthy life. The main objective of this dissertation is to determine to what extent physical activity and healthy eating habits are being applied in a number of kindergarten Church schools. To gather the necessary data, twelve face-to-face interviews were conducted with kindergarten assistants in six kindergarten Church schools. These were necessary to collate the knowledge and personal efforts being applied in order to encourage and instil healthy habits amongst their students. School initiatives on this subject matter were also identified. Furthermore, the researchers highlighted limitations which are restraining the kindergarten assistants from implementing such healthy patterns. A qualitative analysis of the data showed that there seems to be an increased awareness with regards to healthy lifestyles in the selected kindergarten settings. It was found that even though the kindergarten assistants’ impressions about healthy eating and physical activity are at times distorted, they are still acting responsibly by introducing several initiatives to promote healthy habits, even though they are encountering barriers from various sources. Similarly, it was noted that the selected schools are acknowledging the fact that they have an important role in the promotion of these habits. The most significant aspect that resulted from this study was the need for more professional guidelines and support provided from a governing body in order to assist Church schools to work collectively and contribute towards the promotion of these habits.