Massage decreases aggression in preschool children: a long-term study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of massage in 4- to 5-year-old children with aggression and deviant behaviour at day-care centres.


METHODS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
Daily touching by massage lasting for 5-10 min could be an easy and inexpensive way to decrease aggression among preschool children.
von Knorring
Anne-Liis
AL
Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Sweden. anne-liis.von_knorring@bupinst.uu.se
Söderberg
Anna
A
Austin
Lena
L
Uvnäs-Moberg
Kerstin
K
D000374:Aggression; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage; D012919:Social Behavior; D016896:Treatment Outcome