What makes children learn how to swim? – health, lifestyle and environmental factors associated with swimming ability among children in the city of Malmö, Sweden
Abstract Background Swimming ability among children in the city of Malmö, Sweden is strongly affected by socioeconomic differences. We investigated to what extent mediating health and lifestyle factors, such as children’s eating, sleeping and physical activity habits, as well as the characteristics...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2022-01-01
|
| Series: | BMC Pediatrics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-021-03094-0 |
| _version_ | 1798026472404811776 |
|---|---|
| author | Mare Lõhmus Mehdi Osooli Frida I. H. Pilgaard Per-Olof Östergren Anna Olin Stefan Kling Maria Albin Jonas Björk |
| author_facet | Mare Lõhmus Mehdi Osooli Frida I. H. Pilgaard Per-Olof Östergren Anna Olin Stefan Kling Maria Albin Jonas Björk |
| author_sort | Mare Lõhmus |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Swimming ability among children in the city of Malmö, Sweden is strongly affected by socioeconomic differences. We investigated to what extent mediating health and lifestyle factors, such as children’s eating, sleeping and physical activity habits, as well as the characteristics of the social and working environment at both school and home, could explain the socioeconomic gradient in swimming ability. Methods Our study population included children who started their first-grade school-year in 2012 or 2013 at any of the public primary schools of Malmö, Sweden. Cross-sectional, self-reported questionnaire-based data about health status and swimming ability in the fourth grade (age 10) were included from the Pupil Health Database (ELSA) for 3468 children. Results Children’s self-reported swimming ability was strongly associated with both individual- and school-based sociodemographic variables. Nine health, lifestyle and environmental variables were identified as potential mediators and included in the final model. Four of these variables, “Activity”, “Outdoor time”, “Social relationships at home and on the free time”, and “Positivity about future”, were significantly and positively associated with children’s ability to swim. Conclusions Social support, optimism for the future and an active lifestyle were positively associated with children’s swimming skills; however, compared to the socioeconomic factors, these health- and lifestyle factors contributed very little. It is possible, that interventions concerning children’s swimming ability in lower socioeconomic neighbourhoods, should in addition to children’s swimming lessons, target the whole families with the goal of increasing their possibilities for socialising and engaging in different kinds of recreational activities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T18:37:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fbdb3c08a8f24702a7a25be2a315e056 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2431 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T18:37:04Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Pediatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-fbdb3c08a8f24702a7a25be2a315e0562022-12-22T04:09:15ZengBMCBMC Pediatrics1471-24312022-01-012211910.1186/s12887-021-03094-0What makes children learn how to swim? – health, lifestyle and environmental factors associated with swimming ability among children in the city of Malmö, SwedenMare Lõhmus0Mehdi Osooli1Frida I. H. Pilgaard2Per-Olof Östergren3Anna Olin4Stefan Kling5Maria Albin6Jonas Björk7Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund UniversityCenter for Primary Health Care Research, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund UniversityDivision of Social Medicine and Global Health, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund UniversityDivision of Social Medicine and Global Health, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund UniversityPrimary School Administration, Department of Student HealthDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Lund University HospitalDivision of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund UniversityDivision of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund UniversityAbstract Background Swimming ability among children in the city of Malmö, Sweden is strongly affected by socioeconomic differences. We investigated to what extent mediating health and lifestyle factors, such as children’s eating, sleeping and physical activity habits, as well as the characteristics of the social and working environment at both school and home, could explain the socioeconomic gradient in swimming ability. Methods Our study population included children who started their first-grade school-year in 2012 or 2013 at any of the public primary schools of Malmö, Sweden. Cross-sectional, self-reported questionnaire-based data about health status and swimming ability in the fourth grade (age 10) were included from the Pupil Health Database (ELSA) for 3468 children. Results Children’s self-reported swimming ability was strongly associated with both individual- and school-based sociodemographic variables. Nine health, lifestyle and environmental variables were identified as potential mediators and included in the final model. Four of these variables, “Activity”, “Outdoor time”, “Social relationships at home and on the free time”, and “Positivity about future”, were significantly and positively associated with children’s ability to swim. Conclusions Social support, optimism for the future and an active lifestyle were positively associated with children’s swimming skills; however, compared to the socioeconomic factors, these health- and lifestyle factors contributed very little. It is possible, that interventions concerning children’s swimming ability in lower socioeconomic neighbourhoods, should in addition to children’s swimming lessons, target the whole families with the goal of increasing their possibilities for socialising and engaging in different kinds of recreational activities.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-021-03094-0Socioeconomic factorsExerciseSwimmingWellbeingSocial support |
| spellingShingle | Mare Lõhmus Mehdi Osooli Frida I. H. Pilgaard Per-Olof Östergren Anna Olin Stefan Kling Maria Albin Jonas Björk What makes children learn how to swim? – health, lifestyle and environmental factors associated with swimming ability among children in the city of Malmö, Sweden BMC Pediatrics Socioeconomic factors Exercise Swimming Wellbeing Social support |
| title | What makes children learn how to swim? – health, lifestyle and environmental factors associated with swimming ability among children in the city of Malmö, Sweden |
| title_full | What makes children learn how to swim? – health, lifestyle and environmental factors associated with swimming ability among children in the city of Malmö, Sweden |
| title_fullStr | What makes children learn how to swim? – health, lifestyle and environmental factors associated with swimming ability among children in the city of Malmö, Sweden |
| title_full_unstemmed | What makes children learn how to swim? – health, lifestyle and environmental factors associated with swimming ability among children in the city of Malmö, Sweden |
| title_short | What makes children learn how to swim? – health, lifestyle and environmental factors associated with swimming ability among children in the city of Malmö, Sweden |
| title_sort | what makes children learn how to swim health lifestyle and environmental factors associated with swimming ability among children in the city of malmo sweden |
| topic | Socioeconomic factors Exercise Swimming Wellbeing Social support |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-021-03094-0 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marelohmus whatmakeschildrenlearnhowtoswimhealthlifestyleandenvironmentalfactorsassociatedwithswimmingabilityamongchildreninthecityofmalmosweden AT mehdiosooli whatmakeschildrenlearnhowtoswimhealthlifestyleandenvironmentalfactorsassociatedwithswimmingabilityamongchildreninthecityofmalmosweden AT fridaihpilgaard whatmakeschildrenlearnhowtoswimhealthlifestyleandenvironmentalfactorsassociatedwithswimmingabilityamongchildreninthecityofmalmosweden AT perolofostergren whatmakeschildrenlearnhowtoswimhealthlifestyleandenvironmentalfactorsassociatedwithswimmingabilityamongchildreninthecityofmalmosweden AT annaolin whatmakeschildrenlearnhowtoswimhealthlifestyleandenvironmentalfactorsassociatedwithswimmingabilityamongchildreninthecityofmalmosweden AT stefankling whatmakeschildrenlearnhowtoswimhealthlifestyleandenvironmentalfactorsassociatedwithswimmingabilityamongchildreninthecityofmalmosweden AT mariaalbin whatmakeschildrenlearnhowtoswimhealthlifestyleandenvironmentalfactorsassociatedwithswimmingabilityamongchildreninthecityofmalmosweden AT jonasbjork whatmakeschildrenlearnhowtoswimhealthlifestyleandenvironmentalfactorsassociatedwithswimmingabilityamongchildreninthecityofmalmosweden |