Influence of Geographical Area and Living Setting on Children's Weight Status, Motor Coordination, and Physical Activity

Effects of sports experience on children's gross motor coordination level

Background

Gross motor coordination (GMC) development could be influenced by age, gender, weight status, geographical area, living setting, home environment, socio-economic status, sports practice.

Purpose

To verify whether practicing sports and practicing different sports could influence children's GMC level.

Methods

A total of 295 children aged 8-11 years were involved in the study and divided into 5 groups in relation to the sport they practiced: gymnastics group (n = 67; 51F, 16M), cycling group (n = 64; 15F, 49M), athletics group (n = 47; 22F, 25M), swimming group (n = 35; 20F, 15M), control group (n = 82; 42F, 40M). The four subtests of the Körperkoordinations Test für Kinder (KTK) assessed children's GMC level. The scores from each of the four subtests were summed into the KTK total raw score (RS) and then converted into a gender- and age-specific motor quotient (MQ).

Results

Children practicing sports showed significantly higher RS and MQ score than children of control group (203.14 ± 38.55 vs. 163.63 ± 43.50 and 98.56 ± 15.79 vs. 83.01 ± 16.71, respectively; p < 0.001). Children practicing gymnastics had a significantly higher RS and MQ than children of cycling, swimming, and control groups (p < 0.05), children of control group had a significantly lower RS and MQ than children of all other groups (p < 0.05). Children practicing gymnastics performed better walking backwards subtest than all other children's groups (p < 0.001). Children of control group performed worse jumping sideways subtest than children of gymnastics, athletics and swimming groups (p < 0.01). Children practicing gymnastics performed better moving sideways subtest than children of athletics, cycling and control groups (p < 0.01); children of control group performed worse than children of all other groups (p < 0.01). Children of control group performed worse hopping for height subtest than children of gymnastics, athletics and cycling groups (p < 0.05); children practicing gymnastics performed better than children of swimming and control groups (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The performance model and therefore the specialized training that each sport discipline required, could justified the differences in children's GMC level among sports groups. Thus, coaches should plan individualized interventions and choose activity contents to support children's GMC development.

Gross motor coordination in relation to weight status: a longitudinal study in children and pre-adolescents

Introduction

Gross Motor Coordination (GMC) is crucial for the adequate development of motor competence. Our purpose in this semi-longitudinal study was to evaluate the influence of BMI on GMC in children and pre-adolescents of both sexes, across school years (classes).

Methods

We evaluated 117 subjects (aged 8-13 years) belonging to three different cohorts for 4 consecutive years, providing data over 6 years (classes). GMC was assessed through the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK) test. Class and weight status effects were then evaluated by dividing the subjects into a normal weight group and an overweight group based on their weight status.

Results

A significant increase across classes was found for BMI (p < 0.001) and KTK raw score (p < 0.001) and a decrease was found for KTK normalized score (MQ) (p = 0.043). Significantly lower MQ values were found for girls. Absolute GMC increased across the years and there was no difference between boys and girls. Correlations between GMC scores and BMI were negative and significant in 5 of 6 classes. It was confirmed that overweight subjects had lower MQ and RAW values than normal-weight subjects, with no class-by-weight status interaction.

Discussion

The level of competence and its development are strictly dependent on weight status during childhood and pre-adolescence. The present investigation suggests that the adequate development of GMC requires not only targeted physical education programs but also the promotion of healthy habits aimed at maintaining a normal weight status during childhood and pre-adolescence.

Motor-cognitive coupling is impaired in children with mild or severe forms of developmental coordination disorder

Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) show deficits in motor-cognitive coupling. However, it remains unclear whether such deficits depend on the severity of DCD. The aim of this study was to examine cognitive-motor coupling under different levels of inhibitory control in children with severe (s-DCD) or moderate DCD (m-DCD), compared with typically-developing children (TDC). The performance of 29 primary-school children aged 6-12 years with s-DCD (Mage = 9.12 ± 1.56 years), 53 m-DCD (Mage = 8.78 ± 1.67 years), and 201 TDC (Mage = 9.20 ± 1.50 years) was compared on a double jump reaching task (DJRT) paradigm, presented on a large 42-inch touchscreen. The task display had a circular home-base, centred at the bottom of the display, and three target locations at radials of -20°, 0°, and 20°, 40 cm above the home-base circle. For the standard double-jump reaching task (DJRT), children moved their index finger from home-base circle to touch the target stimulus as fast as possible; 20% were jump trials where the target shifted left or right at lift-off. For the anti-jump reaching task (AJRT), 20% of trials required an anti-jump movement, touching the contralateral target location. While no group differences were shown on the DJRT, the DCD group were slower to complete reaching movements than the TDC group on AJRT; on the latter, the two DCD sub-groups were not shown to differ. Results confirm the presence of motor inhibition deficits in DCD which may not be dependent on the motor severity of the disorder.

Efficiency of an Alternative Physical Education Program for the Lower Grades of Elementary School Children

(1) Introduction: This research was conducted with the aim of assessing whether an alternative physical education (PE) program could effectively substitute for the traditional PE curriculum and aid in accomplishing the essential goals and objectives of PE among younger elementary school children. (2) Materials and Methods: This longitudinal 6-month study included third-grade elementary school children of both genders, who were healthy, lived in urban areas, and were involved in an alternative PE program, as well as the regular PE classes. The sample of participants comprised 214 students, with 105 participants in the experimental group and 109 participants in the control group, who underwent pre- and post-intervention measurements. For the purposes of this study, 11 variables were applied to assess the parameters of growth and development, motor abilities, and physical and health education. MANCOVA and ANCOVA methods were used to determine the effects resulting from the alternative and regular PE programs, and differences between the groups, respectively. The data are reported as the mean and standard deviations, and were analyzed using the statistical package SPSS version 20.0 (SPSS Inc., Armonk, NY, USA). (3) Results: Based on the research results obtained for motor abilities and physical and health education, it was concluded that both the alternative and regular PE programs had positive effects in achieving the goals and objectives of PE, but without statistical significance at the multivariate and univariate levels. The differences between the two groups were found to be negligible (effect size, ES < 0.2). (4) Discussion: Sports and PE have distinct objectives and approaches. While sports emphasize competition and winning, PE aims to impart fundamental skills and knowledge, prioritizing inclusivity among younger students. Success in PE is measured by the number of students meeting these goals, potentially affecting both talented and struggling learners. (5) Conclusions: The results obtained from the conducted research indicate that both the alternative PE program and the regular PE program influence changes in motor abilities and physical and health education to a limited extent. The alternative PE program proposed in this study, with its modifications to the structure of existing, regular PE program, can fully replace the latter in schools that do not meet the required spatial and material standards.

Influence of Sport Practice and Body Weight on Physical Fitness in Schoolchildren Living in the Campania Region

Background: Physical fitness (PF) levels correlate with health hallmarks at all ages. In this study, w aimed to determine the PF level of schoolchildren from the Campania Region (Italy) through health-related PF (HRPF) components, taking into account body weight and sport practice (SP). Methods: PF level was determined in 565 schoolchildren aged 10−13 (11.7 ± 1.0 yrs; m: 353, f: 212) using some of the Eurofit battery tests. Results: 77% children practiced sport, boys more than girls (86% vs. 63%, respectively; p < 0.05). Boys performed better than girls (p < 0.05) in the Plate Tapping, Standing Broad Jump, Bent-Arm Hang, and 10 × 5 m Shuttle Run tests; girls performed better in the Sit-and-Reach Test (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Overweight/obese status negatively affects the muscular strength of lower limbs, even if it progressively improves during growth. SP was revealed to be a determinant in performance only in some PF tests, likely due to the heterogeneous training level among boys and girls who practice sport.

Physical Education on the Beach: An Alternative Way to Improve Primary School Children's Skill- and Health-Related Outcomes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 restrictions could preclude children from participating in physical education (PE) interventions. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a PE intervention conducted on the beach on children’s skill- and health-related outcomes, as a possible alternative PE intervention that could be also applied during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved 106 primary school children, randomly assigned to the traditional indoor (TI) intervention or to the experimental outdoor (EO) intervention. The intervention period lasted 4 months and consisted of two 1-h sessions per week. Intervention was conducted just before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Children’s anthropometric parameters (height, weight, BMI, body fat percentage, and abdominal circumference), fitness parameter (VO_2peak), health parameters (resting heart rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure), gross motor coordination, and physical activity level were assessed before and after intervention. Both groups significantly improved fitness and motor coordination but worsened some anthropometric parameters (weight, abdominal circumference) after the intervention period. The EO group showed a higher increase of gross motor coordination than the TI group. Results of this study demonstrated that children benefited from a well-structured PE intervention conducted in the natural environment of the beach improving physical fitness and gross motor coordination. Therefore, planning outdoor PE interventions could be an alternative and safe way to encourage and implement physical activity at school during the particular period of COVID-19 pandemic.