Relationship between childcare workers’ physical literacy and support for promoting children’s physical activity

Introduction: Physical literacy (PL) is defined as "the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding required to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life." Previous research suggests that higher parental PL is associated with positive attitudes and involvement in children's physical activity. As approximately 90% of children in Japan attend early childhood education and care settings, the role of childcare workers in supporting children's physical activity has become increasingly important. Therefore, we aimed to examine the characteristics of childcare workers' PL and its association with their support for promoting children's physical activity. Methods: Secondary data from 201 childcare workers provided by a company managing early childhood education and care facilities were used. PL was assessed using the Physical Literacy for Life self-assessment tool (PL4L). Support for promoting children's physical activity was assessed using five items from a previous study and an additional item developed for this study. The construct validity of the support items was examined using confirmatory factor analysis, and internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. The Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare childcare workers' PL scores by gender, sports club participation at each school age, and stage of change for participation in physical activity. Structural equation modeling was used to examine whether childcare workers' PL was related to support for promoting children's physical activity. Results: Childcare workers who had participated in sports clubs during junior high school, high school, or university tended to report higher PL scores than those who had not. PL scores differed by stage of change for participation in physical activity, with childcare workers in the Maintenance stage showing significantly higher total PL scores than those in the Pre-contemplation stage. Structural equation modeling showed an acceptable model fit and reasonable factor loadings, and the path coefficients from childcare workers' PL to support were statistically significant. Discussion: Childcare workers' PL appears to be associated with their experience of sports club participation and stage of change for participation in physical activity. Enhancing childcare workers' PL may aid their support for promoting children's physical activity.