Children between the ages of 4–6 years represent the population most affected by drowning accidents, while their early involvement in physical activity, and more specifically in aquatic activities is a key factor in their future physical life journey. The systematic review’s purpose was to identify aspects in the intervention’s studies with children and/or their parents that had a significant impact on the Aquatic Literacy (AL) dimensions mentioned as motor, psychological, affective, and cognitive. The PICO method was used to define the research question and PRISMA checklist searched for articles in nine databases: Cochrane, Embase, ERIC, ProQuest, PsychInfo, PubMed, Scopus, SportDiscus, and Web of Science. Eligibility criteria were: (1) English language, (2) primary research, (3) population of 4–6 year old children or their parents, (4) intervention study design, and (5) results related to at least one of the AL domains. The strength of evidence and the risk of bias were assessed. Results showed relatively poor number of studies for such a vulnerable population regarding the drowning risk (n = 8 for parents and n = 14 for children intervention). Studies did not show a consensus on which educational approach was more beneficial than others. Concerning parental education, results were rather homogeneous, especially concerning the theoretical frameworks employed and the relevancy to include parents in swimming programs. The development of pedagogical tools for promotion and evaluation, based on the AL theoretical framework, could help to clarify the question of “how to teach” children to prevent drowning and engage young children in long-term physical activities.

Purpose: Following increased interest in physical literacy (PL), development of appropriate tools for assessment has become an important next step for its operationalization. To forward the development of such tools, the objective of this study was to build the foundations of the Évaluation de la Littératie Physique (ELIP), designed to help reduce existing tensions in approaches to PL assessment that may be resulting in a low uptake into applied settings. Methods: We followed two steps: (1) the development of the first version of ELIP by deploying a Delphi method (n = 30); and (2) the modification of items through cognitive interviews with emerging adults (n = 32). Results: The expert consensus highlighted four dimensions of PL to be assessed—physical; affective; cognitive; and social—with new perspectives, including a preference for broad motor tests over fitness. Conclusion: Results offer new insights into the assessment of emerging adults’ PL, but ELIP still requires further work concerning validity, reliability, and sensitivity.

Young people worldwide are affected by two main health-related issues: physical inactivity and drowning accidents. Encouraging participation in aquatic physical activities in a safe way could address this dual concern. Aligning theoretical frameworks of physical literacy and water competencies could empower young people with key skills to engage safely and sustainably in aquatic environments. The aim of this theoretical paper is to provide a philosophical, ontological, and epistemological rationale for merging these two frameworks into a new concept: aquatic literacy. The multidimensional concept is presented and describes the intertwined physical, psychosocial, and cognitive domains, which provide a means to empower young people to safely enjoy aquatic opportunities and achieve individual health benefits. This new concept needs supportive empirical data, such as the level of individuals in each domain of aquatic literacy, to be a strong framework for guiding aquatic educators and stakeholders to better engage and protect people worldwide.

Purpose: To provide safe and high-quality physical education, this study analyzed a physical literacy school-based intervention on active transport to school. Method: A total of 185 pupils (age_mean = 11.76 ± 0.52; 46% girls) participated in the intervention. Pupils from test (n = 110) and control (n = 75) groups completed a survey based on their perceptions of the four dimensions of physical literacy (physical, cognitive, psychological, and social). Results: The test group displayed a significantly higher level of overall physical literacy compared with the control group (14.9 vs. 13.4) and also in the specific physical (16.4 vs. 15.3), cognitive (16.0 vs. 12.8), and psychological (15.3 vs. 13.8) dimensions. Boys recorded a significantly higher score than girls (16.7 vs. 14.5), particularly in the test group where girls showed less improvement than boys compared with the control group (+2.78 vs. +1.76). Discussion/Conclusion: Physical literacy is a dynamic process, which may be useful to reinforce the importance of incorporating this concept into physical education lesson planning while focusing on gender differences.

Physical inactivity and drowning are two of the leading causes of death worldwide. While participation in aquatic physical activity can help reduce these public health challenges, it is crucial to equip young people with key water skills through a well-designed aquatic curriculum to protect them from drowning and engage them in the long term in aquatic physical activities. This study reports on the development of a tool to analyse aquatic curricula for 6-to-12-year-olds in Europe, addressing both aquatic health issues. Methods: Using a three-round Delphi method, 101 participants from eight European countries - including experts in teaching, organising and researching aquatic education - were asked to rate the relevance of criteria conceptualised through Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model. Results: 115 criteria were retained and grouped into eight categories: (1) curriculum management, (2) drowning epidemiology, (3) timetable, (4) location and equipment, (5) staff, (6) content, (7) assessment and (8) learners. The strong consensus on most of the criteria suggests that promoting physical activity and water safety are compatible goals. Conclusion: A well-designed aquatic curriculum, rooted in each level of the ecological model and organised through a multisystemic approach, can successfully achieve both objectives. The findings provide valuable insights for the design of aquatic safety promotion policies, as well as guidance for educators and policy makers to improve teaching strategies to increase physical activity while preventing drowning accidents.

The transition from secondary school to university is a critical period often marked by a decline in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). This study explores how MVPA opportunities evolve during this transition. A longitudinal design was used with 84 participants (58 girls, 26 boys) who wore accelerometers and completed daily diaries for seven consecutive days at two time points (T0: final year of secondary school; T1: first year of university). MVPA ratios were calculated overall and across 13 distinct opportunities. Results showed that overall MVPA remained stable between T0 and T1 (6.6% vs. 6.3%). Girls showed lower MVPA ratios than boys (p < .05). At T0, PE lessons, transport, recess and supervised leisure contributed most to MVPA. At T1, MVPA during PE and recess declined, while transport and autonomous leisure gained importance. These results suggest that opportunity structures for MVPA shifted, highlighting the importance of self-directed and transport-related activities in university life.