The impact of football initiatives on the formation of a culture of health among the younger generation
Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of football-based sports projects in fostering a healthy lifestyle among children. An experimental sports project was tested to evaluate its influence on the formation of health-oriented behaviors. The study involved 111 boys aged 9–10 from general secondary schools in Kyiv, divided into an experimental group (n=59) and a control group (n=52). Participants were selected with parental consent. The experimental group followed a healthy lifestyle program; the control group did not. Questionnaires were used as the primary method for monitoring the experimental impact. The results of the formative experiment demonstrated the effectiveness of implementing football programs in shaping a healthy lifestyle in children. Positive dynamics were particularly evident in the emotional-motivational and activity-related components, while changes in the cognitive component were less pronounced. Overall, there was a significant increase in the number of children showing medium to high levels of healthy lifestyle indicators (p<0.05). The findings provided a basis for optimizing the school educational process through the integration of health-preserving technologies.
Downloads
-
Abstract106
-
PDF164
References
Clemente, F.M., Moran, J., Ramirez-Campillo, R., Oliveira, R., Brito, J., Silva, A., Badicu, G., Praca, G., Sarmento, H. (2022). Recreational Soccer Training Effects on Pediatric Populations Physical Fitness and Health: A Systematic Review. Children, 9(11), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9111776
Davydova, T. (2015). Formation of schoolchildren’s healthy life style culture as one of key problems of modern comprehensive educational establishment. Pedagogics, Psychology, Medical-Biological Problems of Physical Training and Sports, 19(10), 18-23. https://doi.org/10.15561/18189172.2015.1003
Dudash, G. V., & Brych, V. V. (2023). Factors influencing the formation of adolescent health culture. Ukraine. Health of the Nation, 3(73), 47-52. https://doi.org/10.32782/2077-6594/2023.3/07
Fuentes-Afflick, E. (2024). Social factors and health: pathways and promise. Pediatric Research, 95, 1393–1394. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-024-03165-9
Gao, Z., Chen, S., Sun, H., Wen, X., & Xiang, P. (2018). Physical Activity in Children's Health and Cognition. Biomed Research International, 25, 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/8542403
Halasi, Sz., & Lepes, J. (2022). The impact of sport on health-related quality of life at primary school children. Central European Journal of Educational Research, 4(1), 80–85. https://doi.org/10.37441/cejer/2022/4/1/10743
Hicheur, H., Chauvin, A., Chassot, S., Chenevière, X., & Taube, W. (2017). Effects of age on the soccer-specific cognitive-motor performance of elite young soccer players: Comparison between objective measurements and coaches' evaluation. PLoS ONE, 12, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185460
Hillman, C. H., McDonald, K. M., & Logan, N. E. (2020). A Review of the Effects of Physical Activity on Cognition and Brain Health across Children and Adolescence. Nestlé Nutrition Workshop Series, 95, 116–126. https://doi.org/10.1159/000511508
Kirpenko, T. M. (2018). The problem of health and healthy lifestyle in modern psychological research. Ecological Psychology, 46, 57-66. https://lib.iitta.gov.ua/id/eprint/717706/1/7.pdf
Kolovelonis, A., Pesce, C., & Goudas, M. (2022). The effects of a cognitively challenging physical activity intervention on school children's executive functions and motivational regulations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912742
Krahn, G. L., Robinson, A., Murray, A. J., Havercamp, S. M., Nisonger RRTC on Health and Function. (2021). It's time to reconsider how we define health: Perspective from disability and chronic condition. Disability and Health Journal, 14(4), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101129
Larsen M. N., Terracciano A., Møller T. K., Aggestrup C. S., Buono P., Krustrup P., & Castagna C. (2023). An 11-week school-based “health education through football” programme improves musculoskeletal variables in 10-12-yr-old Danish school children. Bone Reports, 18, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bonr.2023.101681
Majauskiene, D., Skurvydas, A., Istomina, N., Dadeliene, R., Strazdaite, E. Valanciene, D., Uspuriene A. B. & Sarkauskiene, A. (2025). Beyond lifestyle, logic and empathy: subjective health, mood, emotional intelligence, and personality as keys to well-being for women and men. BMC Psychiatry, 25, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06639-0
Mao, F., Li, Z., Qiu, C., & Fang, Q. (2024). Developing integrative practice on basic soccer skills to stimulate cognitive promotion for children and adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology, 19, 1-4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1348006
Mulkey, S. B., Bearer, C. B., & Molloy, E. J. (2023). Indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children relate to the child’s age and experience. Pediatric Research, 94, 1586–1587. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-023-02681-4
Naeem, A., Sikder, I., Wang, S., Barrett, E. S., Fiedler, N., Ahmad, M., Nguyen, U-S. D.T., Martsenkovskyi, D., Holovanova, I., Hicks, M. H-R., & Haque, U. (2025). Parent-child mental health in Ukraine in relation to war trauma and drone attacks. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 139, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2025.152590
Onats, O. O., Chyzhevskyi, B. G., & Popovych, L. M. (2024). Priority directions of health formation of children and pupils in the conditions of transformation processes in education. In Materials of the VI International Symposium “Education and Health of the Younger Generation”: Collection of scientific papers (pp. 150–152). https://nenc.gov.ua/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ЗБІРНИК-Освіта-і-здоровя-підростаючого-покоління-2024.pdf
Pickett, K. E., Vafai, Y., Mathai, M., & Small, N. (2022). The social determinants of child health and inequalities in child health. Paediatrics and Child Health, 32(3), 88–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paed.2021.12.003
Sinha, B. (2024). The Impact of Sports Participation on Youth Development: A Longitudinal Study of Physical, Social, and Psychological Outcomes. Innovations in Sports Science, 1(2), 6-10. https://doi.org/10.36676/iss.v1.i2.8
Song, Y., & Shi, C. (2023). Association between sports participation and overall health in children and adolescents. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 51, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101718
Stein, R. E. K. (2024). Defining child health in the 21st century. Pediatric Research, 96, 1438–1444. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-024-03423-w
Sun, H., Du, C. R., & Wei, Z. F. (2024). Physical education and student well-being: Promoting health and fitness in schools. PLoS One, 19(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0296817
Trajković, N., Madić, D. M., Milanović, Z., Mačak, D., Padulo, J., Krustrup, P., & Chamari, K. (2020). Eight months of school-based soccer improves physical fitness and reduces aggression in high-school children. Biology of Sport, 37, 185–193. https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2020.94240
Yezhova, O. O. (2010). Methodology for assessing the health-oriented activities of an educational institution. Sumy: Publishing house of Sumy State Pedagogical University named after Makarenko.
Yongtawee, A., Park, J., Kim Y., & Woo M. (2022). Athletes have different dominant cognitive functions depending on type of sport. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 20, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2021.1956570
Zakharasevych, N. V., Kravets, N. S., & Klevaka, L. P. (2024). The role of physical activity in the formation of a healthy lifestyle of preschool children. Academic Visions, 38, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14571345
The works and papers that are published in this Journal are subject to the following terms:
1. The Publication Service of the University of Murcia (the publisher) has the Publication Rights (Copyright) to the published papers and works, and favors and permits the reusing of the same under the license indicated in point 2.
© Servicio de Publicaciones, Universidad de Murcia, 2013
2. The papers and works are to be published in the digital edition of the Journal under the license Creative Commons Reconocimiento-No Comercial-Sin Obra Derivada 3.0 España (legal text). The copying, using, spreading, transmitting and publicly displaying of the papers, works or publication are permitted as long as: i) the authors and original sources (Journal, publisher and URL of the publication) are quoted; ii) it is not used for commercial benefit; iii) the existence and specifications of this users license are mentioned.
3. Conditions of Self-Archiving. It is permitted and encouraged that the authors spread electronically the pre-print (before printing) and/or post-print (the revised, evaluated and accepted) versions of their papers or works before their publication since this favors their circulation and early diffusion and therefore can help increase their citation and quotation, and also there reach through the academic community.
The works and papers that are published in this Journal are subject to the following terms:
1. The Publication Service of the University of Murcia (the publisher) has the Publication Rights (Copyright) to the published papers and works, and favors and permits the reusing of the same under the license indicated in point 2.
© Servicio de Publicaciones, Universidad de Murcia, 2013
2. The papers and works are to be published in the digital edition of the Journal under the license Creative Commons Reconocimiento-No Comercial-Sin Obra Derivada 3.0 España (legal text). The copying, using, spreading, transmitting and publicly displaying of the papers, works or publication are permitted as long as: i) the authors and original sources (Journal, publisher and URL of the publication) are quoted; ii) it is not used for commercial benefit; iii) the existence and specifications of this users license are mentioned.
3. Conditions of Self-Archiving. It is permitted and encouraged that the authors spread electronically the pre-print (before printing) and/or post-print (the revised, evaluated and accepted) versions of their papers or works before their publication since this favors their circulation and early diffusion and therefore can help increase their citation and quotation, and also there reach through the academic community.















