PREVENTION OF HEALTH BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN: IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH

Abstract

The foundations for the development of healthy lifestyles, habits, and health behavior are laid at an early, preschool age, hence the increasingly important role of the prevention programs. The aim of this research is to derive pedagogical recommendations and implications for future research based on the analysis of preventive programs developed to prevent and suppress health behavior problems in preschool children. A search of the key descriptors “preschool preventive programs”, “health and physical education”, “health behavior”, and “preschool institution” or “kindergarten” in the ERIC, PubMed and Google Scholar databases published between 2014 and 2023 determined the research sample (N = 30). The theoretical analysis method and the technique of content analysis were implemented, and a special research instrument was created – content analysis matrix. In order for the long-term effects of preventive activities to become visible, the following are necessary: a joint action of the preschool institution, family and local community; the starting point of prevention programs creation should be based on knowledge from reference sciences, necessary for understanding the health behavior problems of preschool children, as well as prevention; аpplication of varied work methods and forms of learning, adapted to the age of children and socio-cultural particularities of the environment and the institution itself; and finally, acting in different areas of development and preschool education. In future research, the focus should be shifted toward feasibility and relevance of the programs, evidence of their scientific and practical viability, as well as evaluation of the prevention programs implementation process.