INFAD (Dec 2019)
Daily activities, well-being and healthy functioning of school-aged children: A literature review.
Abstract
During childhood the foundations for a lifelong healthy functioning are established. Childrens participation in daily activities is a relevant dimension of their growth, being both a determinant and an indicator of well-being and development. However, in comparison with adolescence, the literature on the daily activity patterns of school-aged children is still underdeveloped, focusing essentially on the analysis of physical and extracurricular activities. In addition, due to the theoretical, disciplinary, and methodological dispersion of the research corpus, it is still inconclusive the influence of daily activities, and different combinations of daily activities, on child well-being and development. This work describes the preliminary results of a literature review aiming at mapping studies published since 2001 about the associations between daily participation and the well-being and healthy functioning of school-aged children. A systematic search was performed on the databases Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, and EBSCO, using the search terms that reflect the constructs applicable in the research field. Selection criteria included articles written in English, using samples of healthy children between 6 and 12 years of age, assessing at least two categories or domains of daily activities with an association with any outcome measure. A total of 2509 articles were found, with a final selection of 56 articles corresponding to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Overall, children are offered the opportunity to participate in different activities with developmental significance. However, the patterns of participation and daily engagement in those activities vary significantly, explaining cross-sectional and longitudinal differences in well-being and healthy adaptive functioning in children.
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