Environmental pediatric physiotherapy and risky play: making the case for a perfect match

Environmental physiotherapy is epistemologically anchored in the critical recognition that physiotherapeutic practice is fundamentally embedded within a planetary ecological framework, demanding a holistic, systemically integrated approach to professional practice. This perspective article highlight...

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Main Authors: Andrea Sturm, Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter, Barbara Scheiber
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1498794/full
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author Andrea Sturm
Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter
Barbara Scheiber
author_facet Andrea Sturm
Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter
Barbara Scheiber
author_sort Andrea Sturm
collection DOAJ
description Environmental physiotherapy is epistemologically anchored in the critical recognition that physiotherapeutic practice is fundamentally embedded within a planetary ecological framework, demanding a holistic, systemically integrated approach to professional practice. This perspective article highlights and underscores the value of risky play for child health and the commonalities with environmental pediatric physiotherapy. The article starts with a discussion of current challenges in child health around the globe, often resulting from a lack of physical activity of children, and claims finding new, promising and sustainable ways that are able to attract children and their parents to playfully increase the time that children are physically active. Followed by an overview of physiotherapists’ roles and responsibilities in child public health, the authors point to the need to move beyond an isolated profession-centric approach when tackling the existing, concerning issues in child health worldwide. Foundational information about risky play underpinned with scientific results and its acknowledgment by other health professions is then presented. By including a perspective of what children want, the authors identify a gap between the world’s children’s actual needs and current societal offers. The benefits of risky play for child health are presented in detail, along with a discussion of various considerations pertaining to child safety. Concluding, this perspective article demonstrates how physiotherapists can contribute to better child health by including risky play in physiotherapy theory and practice.
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spelling doaj-art-d202122245a3447eb04ee22711f342482025-01-22T07:13:38ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-01-011210.3389/fpubh.2024.14987941498794Environmental pediatric physiotherapy and risky play: making the case for a perfect matchAndrea Sturm0Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter1Barbara Scheiber2Department of Physiotherapy, Health University of Applied Sciences Tyrol, Innsbruck, AustriaQueen Maud University College of Early Childhood Education, Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Physiotherapy, Health University of Applied Sciences Tyrol, Innsbruck, AustriaEnvironmental physiotherapy is epistemologically anchored in the critical recognition that physiotherapeutic practice is fundamentally embedded within a planetary ecological framework, demanding a holistic, systemically integrated approach to professional practice. This perspective article highlights and underscores the value of risky play for child health and the commonalities with environmental pediatric physiotherapy. The article starts with a discussion of current challenges in child health around the globe, often resulting from a lack of physical activity of children, and claims finding new, promising and sustainable ways that are able to attract children and their parents to playfully increase the time that children are physically active. Followed by an overview of physiotherapists’ roles and responsibilities in child public health, the authors point to the need to move beyond an isolated profession-centric approach when tackling the existing, concerning issues in child health worldwide. Foundational information about risky play underpinned with scientific results and its acknowledgment by other health professions is then presented. By including a perspective of what children want, the authors identify a gap between the world’s children’s actual needs and current societal offers. The benefits of risky play for child health are presented in detail, along with a discussion of various considerations pertaining to child safety. Concluding, this perspective article demonstrates how physiotherapists can contribute to better child health by including risky play in physiotherapy theory and practice.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1498794/fullphysiotherapyenvironmentalchild healthpublic healthrisky playphysical therapy
spellingShingle Andrea Sturm
Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter
Barbara Scheiber
Environmental pediatric physiotherapy and risky play: making the case for a perfect match
Frontiers in Public Health
physiotherapy
environmental
child health
public health
risky play
physical therapy
title Environmental pediatric physiotherapy and risky play: making the case for a perfect match
title_full Environmental pediatric physiotherapy and risky play: making the case for a perfect match
title_fullStr Environmental pediatric physiotherapy and risky play: making the case for a perfect match
title_full_unstemmed Environmental pediatric physiotherapy and risky play: making the case for a perfect match
title_short Environmental pediatric physiotherapy and risky play: making the case for a perfect match
title_sort environmental pediatric physiotherapy and risky play making the case for a perfect match
topic physiotherapy
environmental
child health
public health
risky play
physical therapy
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1498794/full
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