Preschools are environments where children are given opportunities to develop emotional, social and intellectual capabilities, characteristics that by recent research have been revealed as health protecting. The objectives of this study were to examine the intentions of 25 Swedish municipalities to develop such capabilities through activities in preschool and to relate these intentions to municipal socio-economic conditions. Indicators on municipal intentions to promote preschool children’s emotional, social and intellectual capabilities were rather frequently utilised by the 25 municipalities in this study. However, promotion of physical activity, parent support, and children’s influence in preschool were not prioritised. The extent of intended preschool activities was not determined by municipal wealth, which might be due to a national system for equalizing municipal resources.
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The authors would like to acknowledge the municipal officials who answered the questionnaires. This study was funded by the Swedish National Institute of Public Health.
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Guldbrandsson, K., Bremberg, S. Municipal Intentions to Promote Preschool Children’s Capabilities and Health: A Descriptive Study of 25 Swedish Municipalities. Early Childhood Educ J 33, 31–38 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-005-0021-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-005-0021-7