Association Of Physical Activity And Body Mass With Motor Skills In Preschool Children

2015 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 474
Author(s):  
Susan B. Sisson ◽  
Joshua A. New ◽  
Sandra H. Arnold ◽  
Katrina D. DuBose ◽  
Allen W. Knehans
2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Draper ◽  
Simone A Tomaz ◽  
Caylee J Cook ◽  
Sasha S Jugdav ◽  
Candice Ramsammy ◽  
...  

Background: The International Study of Movement Behaviours in the Early Years, SUNRISE, was initiated to assess the extent to which young children meet movement behaviour guidelines (physical activity, sedentary behaviour, screen time, sleep). Objective: The South African SUNRISE pilot study assessed movement behaviours in preschool children from two low-income settings, and associations between these movement behaviours, adiposity, motor skills and executive function (EF). Methods: Preschool child/parent pairs (n = 89) were recruited from preschools in urban Soweto and rural Sweetwaters. Height and weight were measured to assess adiposity. Physical activity was assessed using accelerometers while sedentary behaviour, screen time and sleep were assessed via parent report. Fine and gross motor development were measured using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3, and EF was assessed using the Early Years Toolbox. Results: The proportion of children meeting the physical activity guideline was 84% , 66% met the sleep guideline ,48% met the screen time guideline , and 26% met all three guidelines. Rural children were more active, but spent more time on screens compared to urban children. Most children were on track for gross (96%) and fine motor (73%) development, and mean EF scores were in the expected range for all EF measures. EF was negatively associated with screen time, and gross motor skills were positively associated with physical activity. Conclusion: The South African SUNRISE study contributes to the growing literature on 24-hour movement behaviours in SA preschool children, and highlights that these behaviours require attention in this age group.


2015 ◽  
Vol 69 (Suppl. 1) ◽  
pp. 6911515228p1
Author(s):  
Laura L. Bellows ◽  
William J. Gavin ◽  
Susan L. Johnson ◽  
Richard E. Boles ◽  
Patricia Davies

2013 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 627-646 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. S. Iivonen ◽  
A. K. Sääkslahti ◽  
A. Mehtälä ◽  
J. J. Villberg ◽  
T. H. Tammelin ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 5-15
Author(s):  
Agata Świst ◽  
Krzysztof Graff ◽  
Dorota Chałubińska ◽  
Aleksandra Zielińska ◽  
Anna Łukaszewska

Abstract Introduction:According to the latest UNICEF report, Polish children put on weight at the highest pacein Europe. The number of overweight children has doubled in the last decade. The aim of the work was to assess the effects of kinesiotherapy implemented during a 3-week rehabilitationcamp on changes in motor skills parameters measured on the Leonardo dynamometric platform (Novotec Medical) and on body mass in patients with simple obesity. Materialand methods:The study group included 32 children and youth aged 7-16 with simple obesity who underwent an exercise programme during a 3-week rehabilitation camp. The subjects were examined twice, i.e. at the beginning and at the end of the camp. The control group consisted of 70 healthy children within the same age range who were examined once. Body mass and body height were measured and the BMI was calculated (taking into account centile charts) for all the study participants. Motor skills were assessed on the basis of avertical jump performed on the Leonardo GRFP (GroundReaction Force Platform). The following data were registered: jump velocity, maximum jump height, strength, power, power with reference to body mass and the Esslinger Fitness Index (EFI). Daily kinesiotherapy included exercises in the form of circuit training and water exercises. All the patients participated in meetings with a dietician and a clinical psychologist. Results:Statistically significant reduction in body mass after a 3-week rehabilitation camp was noted in 27 patients with simple obesity (84.1%) (p<0.05). Motor parameters did not improve significantly. Conclusions:Regular physical activity resulted in weight loss only. However, physical activity did not bring about positive changes in motor parameters.


Author(s):  
Damjan Jaksic ◽  
Sandra Mandic ◽  
Nebojsa Maksimovic ◽  
Zoran Milosevic ◽  
Roberto Roklicer ◽  
...  

(1) Background: Regular physical activity (PA) plays an important role during early childhood physical and psychological development. This study investigates the effects of a 9-month PA intervention on physiological characteristics and motor and cognitive skills in preschool children. (2) Methods: Preschool children (n = 132; age 4 to 7 years) attending regular preschool programs were nonrandomly assigned to PA intervention (n = 66; 60 min sessions twice per week) or a control group (n = 66; no additional organized PA program) for 9 months. Exercise training for the intervention group included various sports games, outdoor activities, martial arts, yoga, and dance. Anthropometry, motor skills (7 tests), and cognitive skills (Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices and Cognitive Assessment System) were assessed before and after an intervention period in both groups. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. (3) Results: Body weight significantly increased in both groups over time. Compared to the changes observed in the control group, the intervention group significantly increased in chest circumference (p = 0.022). In contrast, the control group demonstrated an increase in waist circumference (p = 0.001), while these measures in the intervention group remained stable. Participants in the intervention group improved running speed (p = 0.016) and standing broad jump (p = 0.000). The flexibility level was maintained in the intervention group, while a significant decrease was observed in the control group (p = 0.010). Children from the intervention group demonstrated progress in the bent-arm hang test (p = 0.001), unlike the control group subjects. Varied improvements in cognitive skills were observed for different variables in both intervention and control groups, with no robust evidence for PA-intervention-related improvements. (4) Conclusions: Preschool children’s participation in a preschool PA intervention improves their motor skills.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. e12820 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caylee J. Cook ◽  
Steven J. Howard ◽  
Gaia Scerif ◽  
Rhian Twine ◽  
Kathleen Kahn ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Zeng ◽  
Mohammad Ayyub ◽  
Haichun Sun ◽  
Xu Wen ◽  
Ping Xiang ◽  
...  

Objective. This study synthesized literature concerning casual evidence of effects of various physical activity programs on motor skills and cognitive development in typically developed preschool children.Methods. Electronic databases were searched through July 2017. Peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effectiveness of physical activity on motor skills and cognitive development in healthy young children (4–6 years) were screened.Results. A total of 15 RCTs were included. Of the 10 studies assessing the effects of physical activity on motor skills, eight (80%) reported significant improvements in motor performance and one observed mixed findings, but one failed to promote any beneficial outcomes. Of the five studies investigating the influence of physical activity on cognitive development, four (80%) showed significant and positive changes in language learning, academic achievement, attention, and working memory. Notably, one indicated no significant improvements were observed after the intervention.Conclusions. Findings support causal evidence of effects of physical activity on both motor skills and cognitive development in preschool children. Given the shortage of available studies, future research with large representative samples is warranted to explore the relationships between physical activity and cognitive domains as well as strengthen and confirm the dose-response evidence in early childhood.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rabia Gamze Ecevit ◽  
Mehmet Şahin

<p>This study aimed to examine the relationship between motor skills and social skills of preschool children regarding to age, gender, and body mass indexes. A total of 160 typically developing preschool children from the 5 – 6 age groups participated in the study. The families of the children gave consent forms to participate in the study. The Test of Gross Motor Development, 3rd Edition tool (TGMD-III), and Preschool Social Skills Assessment Tool (PSSAT) were used in the study. We performed frequency and percentage analysis for descriptive statistics on the demographic characteristics of the participants. The researchers estimated the minimum, maximum, mean, and standard deviation values of the scales used in the study and the sub-dimensions of these scales. Skewness and kurtosis values for normality and applied Shapiro-Wilk (Normal Fit Test) were examined. We also calculated Cronbach's alpha values for the validity-reliability analysis of the Preschool Social Skills Assessment Tool. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests for gender and age comparisons, and Kruskal-Wallis analyses were employed to examine body mass indexes. We performed Pearson Correlation analysis to determine the relationship between motor skills and social skills. The result of the research showed that the motor skills of preschool children showed a significant difference according to the gender of the children (p&lt;0.05). Preschool children were exposed to a significant difference according to children's ages in terms of locomotor skills and total motor skills (p&lt;0.01). The social skills of these children revealed a statistically significant difference in line with their gender (p&lt;0.01). On the other hand, there was no statistically significant difference according to the age of the children (p&gt;0.05). The body mass index of preschool children's ground motor and social skills did not show a statistically significant difference according to their Body Mass Index (BMI) levels (p&gt;0.05). Our study could not identify a meaningful relationship between motor skills and the children's social skills (p&gt;0.05).</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0862/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 525-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone A. Tomaz ◽  
Alessandra Prioreschi ◽  
Estelle D. Watson ◽  
Joanne A. McVeigh ◽  
Dale E. Rae ◽  
...  

Background: Limited research reports on the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), sleep, and gross motor skills (GMS) in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to (1) describe BMI, PA, SB, sleep duration, and GMS proficiency in South African preschool children and (2) identify relationships between variables. Methods: BMI, including z scores for height, weight, and BMI were determined. Seven-day PA, SB, and sleep were measured using accelerometry. GMS were assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development (second edition). Associations were explored by comparing sleep, PA, SB, and GMS between BMI tertiles using the Kruskal–Wallis test. Results: Most (86%) children (n = 78, 50% boys) had a healthy BMI (15.7 [1.3] kg/m2). Children spent 560.5 (52.9) minutes per day in light- to vigorous-intensity PA and 90.9 (30.0) minutes per day in moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA; most (83%) met the current PA guideline. Nocturnal sleep duration was low (9.28 [0.80] h/d). Although daytime naps increased 24-hour sleep duration (10.17 [0.71] h/d), 38% were classified as short sleepers. Around half (54.9%) of participants complied with both PA and sleep guidelines. No associations between variables were found. Conclusion: Despite being lean, sufficiently active, and having adequate GMS, many children were short sleepers, highlighting a possible area for intervention.


Author(s):  
Lejla Obradovic Salcin ◽  
Zeljka Karin ◽  
Vesna Miljanovic Damjanovic ◽  
Marko Ostojic ◽  
Andrea Vrdoljak ◽  
...  

Physical activity, body mass, and dietary habits are known to be important determinants of overall health status, but there is an evident lack of studies that examine these issues specifically in preschool children. The aim of this study was to identify associations that may exist between adhering to the Mediterranean diet (MD), levels of physical activity (PA), and body composition indices in apparently healthy preschool children from southern Croatia. Participants were 5- to 6-year-old preschoolers from the Mediterranean part of the country (the Split-Dalmatia County; n = 260, 126 females). Adherence to the MD was observed by the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED), PA level was evaluated by the Preschool-age Children’s Physical Activity Questionnaire (Pre-PAQ), and responses were collected from the parents. The participants’ waist circumferences (in cm), waist-to-hip ratios, and body mass index (in kg/m2, and in a z-score calculated relative to the normative value for age and sex) were used as indicators of body composition. All children were of the same age and tested over a one-month period of the same year as a part of the regular examination undertaken before attending elementary school. With only 6% of the children having a low KIDMED score, adherence to the MD was high. MD adherence was higher in girls (Chi-square = 15.31, p < 0.01) and children who live on the coast of the Adriatic Sea (Chi-square = 18.51, p < 0.01). A mixed effects logistic regression (with kindergarten as random factor) identified sedentary activity to be negatively associated with MD adherence (OR per point: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.44–0.91). High adherence to the MD in the studied sample may be attributed to regulated feeding in kindergarten. Considering that most Croatian elementary schools do not provide food to their students, MD adherence should be investigated later in life and also in other parts of the country where the MD is culturally less prevalent.


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