Children's Individual Differences in the Responses to a New Method for Physical Education.

Children's fundamental movement skills (FMS) require planned and guided interventions to develop appropriately. We investigated the effect of a novel Physical Education (PE) method to develop children's object control, locomotor skills, and motor competence. Further, we examined children's trainability, i.

Secular Trends in Physical Growth Among Peruvian Children and Adolescents Living at High Altitudes.

Objective: We aim (1) to examine secular trends in height, weight, and waist circumference (WC) among Peruvian children and adolescents living in the city of Junín and (2) to compare their growth status with the World Health Organization (WHO) and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reference data.

Methods: The sample included 2874 Peruvians (n = 1681 in the 2009 cohort and n = 1193 in the 2019 cohort) aged 6-16 years from the district of Junín (4107 m of altitude). Height, weight, and WC were measured using standardized protocols.

Associations of obesity, movement behaviors, and socioeconomic status with fundamental movement skills in children: Results from the REACT project.

Objective: To investigate the relationship of biological characteristics (age, sex, and obesity), movement behaviors (physical activity and sedentary time), and family socioeconomic status with fundamental movement skills (FMS) in primary school children.

Methods: This cross-sectional study sampled 1014 children (537 girls) aged 6 to 10 years from 25 primary schools in Matosinhos, north of Portugal. Five object control skills (dribbling, kicking, catching, throwing, and underarm rolling) were assessed with a categorical scale using the Meu Educativo® platform.

A multivariate multilevel approach to unravel the associations between individual and school factors on children's motor performance in the REACT project.

Objective: The aim was to (1) estimate the relationship between physical fitness (PF) and object control fundamental movement skills (FMS), (2) identify child characteristics that relate with PF and FMS, and (3) examine associations between the school environment, PF, and FMS.

Methods: The sample included 1014 Portuguese children aged 6-10 years from the REACT project. PF was assessed via running speed, shuttle run, standing long jump, handgrip, and the PACER test.

Individual and school correlates of body mass index and cardiorespiratory fitness in primary school children from the REACT project: A multivariate multilevel analysis.

Objective: This paper examines the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) using a multivariate multilevel approach and investigates the links between individual and school-related correlates with children's BMI and CRF.

Methods: This cross-sectional sample included 1014 children (6-10 years) from 25 Portuguese primary schools. BMI was calculated, and CRF was assessed with the PACER test.

Sleep and fundamental movement skills in primary schoolchildren: The REACT project.

Objective: Whether sleep is related to fundamental movement skills (FMS) in the pediatric population is largely unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the association between sleep characteristics (duration, efficiency, regularity) and FMS proficiency levels in school-aged children.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 996 children (mean age: 8.

Statistical analysis of the longitudinal fundamental movement skills data in the REACT project using the multilevel ordinal logistic model.

Objectives: The REACT project was designed around two main aims: (1) to assess children's growth and motor development after the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) to follow their fundamental movement skills' developmental trajectories over 18 months using a novel technological device (Meu Educativo®) in their physical education classes. In this article, our goal is to describe statistical analysis of the longitudinal ordinal motor development data that was obtained from these children using the multilevel ordinal logistic model.

Methods: Longitudinal ordinal data are often collected in studies on motor development.

Validity and reliability of Meu Educativo®: A new tool to assess fundamental movement skills in school-aged children.

Objectives: There is evidence showing that children's proficiency in fundamental movement skills (FMS) is positively related to weight status, physical activity, fitness levels, cognitive development, as well as academic performance. Yet, the feasibility of FMS assessment is challenging, especially with relatively large samples of children. This article presents a new tool named Meu Educativo® to assess children's FMS levels, including its validity and reliability.

Background, rationale, and methodological overview of the REACT project-return-to-action on growth, motor development, and health after the COVID-19 pandemic in primary school children.

Objectives: The REACT project was designed around two main aims: (1) to assess children's growth and motor development after the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) to follow their fundamental movement skills' developmental trajectories over 18 months using a novel technological device (Meu Educativo®) in their physical education classes. In this introductory article, the first of the Journal's special issue dedicated to REACT, our goal was to present the project rationale, its methodology, training and certification of the team, statistical approach, quality control, governance, and study management.

Methods: We sampled 1000 children (6-10 years of age) from 25 of the 32 primary schools in Matosinhos, northern Portugal.

Sibling Resemblance in Physical Activity Levels: The Peruvian Sibling Study on Growth and Health.

Physical activity is associated with a host of positive health outcomes and is shaped by both genetic and environmental factors. We aim to: (1) estimate sibling resemblance in two physical activity phenotypes [total number of steps∙day and minutes for moderate steps per day (min∙day)]; and (2) investigate the joint associations of individual characteristics and shared natural environment with intra-pair sibling similarities in each phenotype. We sampled 247 biological siblings from 110 nuclear families, aged 6-17 years, from three Peruvian regions.

Sibling Resemblances in Physical Fitness in Three Distinct Regions in Peru: The Peruvian Sibling Study on Growth and Health.

We estimated sibling resemblance in health-related physical fitness (PF) and examined how individual characteristics and shared natural environment accounted for sibling similarities. The sample comprised 656 sibling pairs and 102 triplets (6-15 years of age), from three geographical areas of Peru. PF components included morphological (waist circumference, sum of skinfolds), muscular (handgrip strength, standing long jump), and motor (shuttle-run).

[Pain and cervical disability among public workers who use data visualization display terminals].

Work-related neck/shoulder disorders are considered an important health issue. This study is aimed at establishing the pain and cervical disability patterns of workers with visual display terminals, as well as at determining the factors that mostly affect the onset of a new episode of back pain. A descriptive, correlational study was carried out on a sample of 88 workers who use visual display terminals, of the Ministry of Health (Xunta de Galicia).

Biological and environmental influences on motor coordination in Peruvian children and adolescents.

This study investigated the associations between biological and environmental factors and gross-motor coordination (GMC) in Peruvian children and adolescents. The sample comprised 7401 boys and girls, aged 6-14 years, recruited from three geographical regions: sea-level, Amazon and high-altitude. Biological variables included age, sex, height, BMI, physical fitness, stunting, and maturational status.

A multilevel analysis of gross motor coordination of children and adolescents living at different altitudes: the Peruvian Health and Optimist Growth Study.

Background: Gross motor coordination (GMC) is a potential correlate of lifestyle behaviours and health outcomes in childhood and adolescence.

Aims: The aim of this study was to examine how sex, age, biological maturation, overweight, stunting, and physical fitness are associated with GMC in children and adolescents from Peru, and to examine associations between geographical area of residence, school-level characteristics, and GMC.

Subjects And Methods: The sample included 7408 subjects, aged 6-14 years, from sea level, Amazon and high-altitude regions of Peru.

A multivariate multilevel analysis of youth motor competence. The Peruvian Health and Optimist Growth Study.

We use a multivariate multilevel model to study the links between physical fitness (PF) and gross motor coordination (GMC) and investigate the influence of predictors affecting their levels across age. We sampled 7918 Peruvians, aged 6-15 years, from sea-level, Amazon region and high-altitude. Composite markers of GMC and PF were derived (GMC and PF , respectively).

Stunting and Physical Fitness. The Peruvian Health and Optimist Growth Study.

Stunting, defined as linear growth retardation, is a serious public health problem in developing countries. We aimed to (1) describe the prevalence of stunting in Peruvian youth living in three geographical regions, and to (2) determine height and physical fitness (PF) differences between stunted and normal-growth children across age and sex. We sampled 7918 subjects (7074 normal-growth and 844 stunted), aged 6-15 year, from sea-level, Amazon and high-altitude regions of Peru.

Correlates of Overweight in Children and Adolescents Living at Different Altitudes: The Peruvian Health and Optimist Growth Study.

Background And Aim: Overweight prevalence in children and adolescents shows great variability which is related to individual-level and environmental-level factors. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with overweight in Peruvian children and adolescents living at different altitudes.

Methods: 8568 subjects, aged 6-16 y, from the sea level, Amazon, and high-altitude regions were sampled.

Growth velocity curves and pubertal spurt parameters of Peruvian children and adolescents living at different altitudes. The Peruvian health and optimist growth study.

Objetive: To estimate the growth parameters of Peruvian children and adolescents living at different altitudes.

Methods: The sample comprised 10 795 Peruvian children and adolescents (5781 girls, aged 6-7 years) from sea level, the Amazon region, and high altitude. Height was measured with standardized techniques.

A multi-level analysis of individual- and school-level correlates of physical fitness in children.

Background: Children's physical fitness is potentially influenced by biological, behavioural and environmental factors.

Aim: To investigate the importance of individual-level and school-level characteristics in explaining variation in children's physical fitness.

Subjects And Methods: The sample comprised 354 Portuguese children, aged 5-10 years.

Sex-specific genetic effects in physical activity: results from a quantitative genetic analysis.

Background: The objective of this study is to present a model to estimate sex-specific genetic effects on physical activity (PA) levels and sedentary behaviour (SB) using three generation families.

Methods: The sample consisted of 100 families covering three generations from Portugal. PA and SB were assessed via the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form (IPAQ-SF).

Multi-level modelling of physical activity in nuclear families.

Background: Few studies focus on the different dyadic relations among family members to study physical activity (PA) levels.

Aim: The aim was to investigate predictors and sources of variance of PA levels in nuclear families using multi-level modelling.

Subjects And Methods: The sample consisted of 2661 Portuguese four-member nuclear families (10 644 subjects).

Motor coordination, activity, and fitness at 6 years of age relative to activity and fitness at 10 years of age.

Background: Health benefits of physical activity (PA) and physical fitness (PF) are reasonably well established, but tracking studies of PA and PF in childhood have not ordinarily considered the role of motor coordination.

Objectives: To compare the growth status, gross motor coordination (GMC), PA, and PF characteristics of children at 6 years of age relative to aerobic fitness (fit, unfit) and PA (active, sedentary) at 10 years.

Methods: 285 primary school children (142 girls, 143 boys) resident on the 4 main Azorean islands, Portugal, were measured annually (in the fall) from 6 to 10 years.

Back pain in Portuguese schoolchildren: prevalence and risk factors.

Background: Regarding children aged ≤ 10 years, only a few international studies were conducted to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for back pain. Although other studies on the older Portuguese children point to prevalence between 17% and 39%, none exists for this specific age-group. Thus, the aim of this study was conducted to establish the prevalence of and risk factors for back pain in schoolchildren aged 7-10 years.

Genetic factors in familial aggregation of blood pressure of Portuguese nuclear families.

Background: Despite of the increase in the prevalence of hypertension in Portugal, the importance of genetic factors in blood pressure (BP) has not been studied extensively in our country.

Objectives: To verify the indirect presence of vertical transmission of genetic factors between parents and children in BP values, and to estimate the magnitude of genetic factors contributing for variation in BP values in the population.

Methods: Sample size comprises 367 individuals (164 parents and 203 children) pertaining the 107 nuclear families participating in 'Familias Activas' project, proceeding from different regions of North Portugal.