The role of the cultural environment in the development of physical literacy and physical activity of Iranian children

This research was done to study the role of the cultural environment in the development of PL and PA in Iranian children. The findings have shown that Iranian children generally lack optimal levels of PA and PL. In other words, the level of PL of Iranian children aged 8 to 12 was progressing qualitatively towards the beginner level, and in terms of PA, it was of medium to low quality at best. Fundamental steps must therefore be taken in this field.

The lack of an acceptable quality level of PL among Iranian children was not an unexpected finding. This finding was already supported by the research of Valadi et al. Who reported that students in the second to sixth grades in Tehran (8–12 years) do not have an acceptable level of PL [28]. In fact, according to the concept of PL, this study shows that elementary school students in Iran are far from having an active lifestyle and a healthy lifestyle. This could be related to the short hours of physical education classes at Iranian schools, which are less than 120 min per week. Unfortunately, in recent years, physical education classes for grades 1 to 3 have been eliminated. Also, in the metropolis, there are few sports spaces available for children and they have to play virtual games in small apartments. This problem may expose the health of this segment of society to various physical, mental, and mobility risks. Lifestyle changes and inactivity have resulted in children today failing to meet recommended physical activity guidelines. Consequently, children are in poor physical condition. Since the foundations of an active lifestyle are formed during childhood. It is suggested that the education system increase the number of hours of physical education to promote PA and PL.

In the geographic location, a significant difference was observed in Iranian children with PA and PL. Regarding the components of daily PA, physical fitness, motivation, and self-confidence, participants living in the west (Khorramabad, Sanandaj) and east (Zahedan) have significantly higher scores than their counterparts living in the central (Tehran), southern (Ahvaz) and northwestern (Tabriz) regions. In the substructure of knowledge and perception, participants living in the central and northwest had higher scores than other regions. Tahmasabi et al. Also pointed out in movement skills, seven to nine-year-old children living in western Iran had a higher score than children living in the center and south [15]. Among the possible reasons, it may be mentioned that children have more activity and space in the western and eastern areas of Iran than in the central and southern areas. Today, environmental conditions and technological advances in metropolises and large cities have left children inactive. Children in large cities face restrictions in their houses and neighborhoods, furthermore, the increase in the number of students in schools and the lack of sufficient space has reduced practical opportunities for children. Children in metropolises of Ahvaz, Teheran, and Tabriz, because of their smaller living space, are less able to engage in activities that involve their large muscles. They are most active in the virtual space and perform activities that involve fine muscles. On the other hand, children in the cities of Sanandaj, Khorramabad, and Zahedan are more likely to participate in activities that involve their big muscles as a result of their larger living environment. In these activities, children’s fundamental skills are reinforced, resulting in improved levels of PL and physical activity. Another possible explanation of the difference in PL and PA scores among students from different regions is consistent with development context theory. From this perspective, the dynamic relationship between growing people and the changing environment in which they live is considered to be the basis of developmental and behavioral changes [31]. The environment and environmental conditions affect the behavior of the child, the cultural environment in which we live and issues such as beliefs, customs, and attitudes affect the motor development of the child [31]. It appears that geographic areas with different features create different opportunities for children to engage in sports and recreation, and these factors lead to differences in children’s movement levels. According to the results of this study and the previous one [15], based on the different effects of geographical location on the movement pattern of children, it is appropriate that the planning of the Iranian Ministry of Education be developed at the regional level and taking into account the particular cultural factors of each region. In the centralized education system in Iran, curricula, objectives, allocation of teaching time, and student evaluation methods and policies related to credit allocation and staffing are developed at the national level and the teacher is the executor and facilitator of the developmental programs. This is even though the educational system is decentralized in most of the leading countries.

Our findings showed the effect of the place of life (city, suburb, and village) on the level of PA and PL of Iranian children were different. In this regard, the results showed that the level of PL of children living in the village was higher than that of children in the center and the suburbs. Regarding the components of daily PA and physical competence, which are more related to the amount of PA and PL, the results showed that the children living in the village are in a better condition. More activity and space for children in the village than in the city is a potential reason for this observation from physical space. Private schools in the cities mostly use buildings whose spaces are not reserved for schools and which have been converted to schools with little modification. There is little available space in public schools, or crowding in schools prevents the proper use of space. Meanwhile, in the village, the school space is suitable for play and physical activity. Furthermore, urban students are transported to schools by taxi and car, but rural students walk to school; as well, in nearby villages, there is generally one school where students have to walk a long distance. One study found that children in rural areas had better movement test scores than their counterparts in urban areas [32]. In this regard, Tsapakidou et al. [33] compared the motor skills of children aged 8 and 9 according to their socio-economic status and place of residence. Consistent with the results of our research, they also indicated that the location of residence affected the quality of fundamental motor skills. In terms of knowledge and perception, the results demonstrated better performance of children in the center and the suburbs than children in the village. One of the reasons for the low level of knowledge and perception is that, in Iran’s education system, less attention is paid to the exercise training needed for this group. As a result, students did not have regular, organized physical activities that would benefit their present and future, or they had fewer such programs. Therefore, in addition to further supervision of intra-school physical activities that are related to physical competence, the teaching of cognitive concepts should be done in physical education lessons. Practical definitions of physical education, parameters of physical fitness, hygiene, and health, and the side effects of over-use of screen-compatible programs are important concepts, which should be taught in primary schools, especially in rural schools. We recommendthat schools in the metropolises, plan sports programs for students outside of school time to promote the level of PA.

Determining the relationship between the level of PL with age and gender can lead to the initial recognition of patterns among this age group of society [22]. On this basis, it was found that there is a significant difference between the two genders in the PA and PL levels, so the boys were better than the girls. Its cause may be partly related to religious and cultural restrictions in Iran, which makes girls unable to enjoy physical activity as much as boys. The lack of suitable space and facilities, the attitude of families as well as the low participation of girls in physical education in schools, lead to their low level of movement compared to boys. Moreover, the Victorian effect on the negative effect of exercise on women’s fertility still exists in some cities and in particular in the villages of Iran, and in many cases, it denies girls the opportunity to participate in many dynamic sports. It seems that in western societies, gender is not the cause of the difference in PL of boys and girls. VedulKjelsas et al. reported an insignificant difference between the motor skills of 11-year-old Norwegian boys and girls, which was associated with slight male superiority [34]. Also, Goodway et al. reported that there is no significant difference in boys’ and girls’ motor skills in the Midwest and Southwestern America [35]. American girls have more freedom to act and more athletic opportunities. Ball games, track and field, dance, and gymnastics are the core content of the physical education program in the United States. However, in Iran, the physical education program consists of two hours per week, with no specific content. Add to this deplorable situation, fewer sports facilities for girls in schools. Our recommendation is that in addition to increasing physical education hours, there should be indoor sports spaces in girls’ schools.