Author(s): HIRANO, T., Institution: NAGOYA COLLEGE, Country: JAPAN, Abstract-ID: 2228

INTRODUCTION:
During the COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in 2019, opportunities for physical activity among children were significantly restricted. Lockdown measures led to a global decline in overall physical activity and a concomitant increase in sedentary behavior. While numerous studies have reported on the impact of COVID-19 on physical fitness in school-aged children and adolescents, data concerning preschool-aged children remain limited. This study aimed to clarify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by comparing the physical fitness levels of preschool children before and after the outbreak.
METHODS:
This longitudinal study followed 169 healthy Japanese boys and 135 healthy girls aged 4–5 years. Between 2018 and 2023, three physical performance tests were administered: the 25-meter run (25R), standing long jump (SLJ), and softball throw (ST). Changes in test results were longitudinally compared within the same cohort before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 24, with the level of significance set at p < 0.05.
RESULTS:
The kindergarten attended by the participants was closed for three months during the initial phase of the pandemic. Following the reopening, the children were able to attend as they had previously. This particular institution emphasized physical activity prior to the pandemic; thus, measures were implemented to maintain exercise volume, except for the six-month period immediately following the outbreak.
Statistical analysis revealed that ST performance was significantly lower after the pandemic than before the pandemic.This downward trend was particularly evident in children aged 5.5 and 6.0 years, whereas no significant difference was observed at age 4.0. Furthermore, no significant changes were found in 25R or SLJ performance between the two periods.
CONCLUSION:
The decline in ST performance may be attributed to the reduction in physical activity within the kindergarten setting and decreased activity levels at home during the pandemic. Given that the accuracy of physical fitness assessments tends to decrease in younger age groups, further investigation is required to validate these findings.