Multidisciplinary Archaeological Investigation of Fundamental Movement Skills and Physical Fitness in Preschool Children in the Mediterranean Region

Abstract

Although the benefits of exercise for both physical and mental well-being are widely recognized, the specific mechanisms underlying these benefits remain unclear, particularly in research focusing on preschool children's fundamental movement skills (FMSs) and physical fitness (PF). This study employs archaeological and multidisciplinary approaches to investigate the effects of various physical activities, including Ball Games (BGs), Rhythmic Activities (RAs), Basic Movements (BMs), and a combination of multiple related activities (Many Activities, MAs), on FMSs and PF in preschool children in the Mediterranean region. Additionally, the research aims to evaluate how participation in cheerleading activities can foster leadership and collaboration skills among participants. To extend these findings to a collectivist cultural context, a cohort of 1005 Chinese individuals was tracked over a four-month period. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 25.0, IBM, Armonk, New York City, China) through analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results were derived from a univariate ANOVA with a between-subject design, utilizing rating scores as the dependent variable and rating conditions as the independent variable (two levels), followed by various follow-up ANOVA studies after examining the homogeneity of variance hypotheses. This research not only enhances our understanding of the cheerleading effect and the Group Allocation effect (GA-effect) on human behavior, perceptions, and judgments in a new cultural setting but also offers fresh perspectives in Mediterranean and environmental archaeology.