Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the effects of massage in 4- to 5-year-old children with aggression and deviant behaviour at day-care centres.Method: The children received daily massage in preschool at the midday rest (n = 60). The controls were listening to a story (n = 50). The Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) was used to rate the children's behaviour by parents and staff before the treatment started, and after 3 and 6 months. A long-term evaluation was also carried out. It included all massaged children still in daycare after 12 months (n = 34).Results: Children with high scores of behaviour problems, receiving massage and/or extra attention showed significant decrease in aggression scores after 3 months, but after 6 months significantly lowered scores were only found in massage-treated deviant children. Parents of the children receiving massage rated a significant decrease of somatic problems of their children. Staff rated that the massaged children's social problems decreased, compared to the control children. Attention problems tended to decrease, especially at home. A continuous decrease in aggressive behaviour and somatic problems over a 12-month period was observed in the children receiving massage.Conclusion: Daily touching by massage lasting for 5-10 min could be an easy and inexpensive way to decrease aggression among preschool children.

Keywords

aggression; deviant behaviour; long-term treatment; massage; preschool children

Published in

Acta Paediatrica
2008, Volume: 97, number: 9, pages: 1265-1269
Publisher: WILEY-BLACKWELL

SLU Authors

• Uvnäs-Moberg, Kerstin

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all


UKÄ Subject classification

Pediatrics


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1651-2227.2008.00919.x

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/78187