Music-based Exercise Activities for Children, Effects on Sedentary Behavior, Physical Activity, Intervention Implementation, and Enjoyment

Regular physical activity (PA) and avoidance of prolonged sitting are essential for children’s healthy growth and well-being. Music may promote behavioral change through increased exercise participation and adherence. This thesis determined whether music-based exercises could affect sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity among four- to seven-year-old children in the home environment. The thesis and its original publications are based on two study sets. The studies evaluated the randomized effects of a movement-to-music video program (Study 1) and the within-subject differences of music mat exercises (Study 2) on children’s SB, PA, intervention adherence, fidelity, and enjoyment. A sample of 203 mother-child pairs in Study 1 and 14 families in Study 2 were included in the analysis. In both studies, SB and PA were evaluated using accelerometers at baseline, and again during the first and final weeks of the eight-week interventions. Intervention adherence, fidelity, and enjoyment were examined through exercise diaries and questionnaires. In both studies, the results showed that average changes in SB and PA were small. However, among children who used the video program or the music mat as instructed, SB decreased, and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) slightly increased. The mothers’ own musical background seemed to be positively associated with their children’s light PA. In addition, if the mothers were moderately or highly motivated by the exercise program’s music, the children in Study 1 were more likely to increase their MVPA. The children’s music-based hobbies did not change the measured outcomes in Study 2, but they were more likely to use the music mat than children without music-based hobbies. Children’s positive feelings about receiving encouragement from their families were associated with an increase in self-reported PA. In conclusion, providing the means for music-based exercise activity did not decrease SB or increase PA during a short-term intervention in the home environment. However, children with music-based hobbies or who had parents with a musical background might benefit more from music-based activities by decreasing their SB and increasing their PA, although there were no group-level accelerometer-measured changes during the interventions.