Association of daily and time-segmented physical activity and sedentary behaviour with mental health of school children and adolescents from rural Northeastern Ontario, Canada.

Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SED) have been linked to the mental health of children and adolescents, yet the timing of behaviours may play a role in this relationship and clarifying this could inform interventions. We explored cross-sectional associations of PA and SED in varying time segments throughout the school day with the mental health of school-aged children and adolescents from rural Northeastern Ontario, Canada. A total of 161 students (56% female, M = 10.

Perceptions and Use of Teaching Strategies for Fundamental Movement Skills in Primary School Physical Education Programs.

Fundamental motor/movement skills (FMS) describe the basic skills necessary to complete physical tasks, and are a key aspect of primary school physical education (PE) programs. Yet, specific teaching styles for FMS development have been relatively unexplored. Through a mixed-methods design, experiences and perceptions of different PE teachers (preservice, specialist, and generalist) were explored.

Hand preference for unimanual and bimanual tasks: Evidence from questionnaires and preferential reaching.

The current research compared hand selection in a preferential reaching paradigm with unimanual (i.e., pick-up cup) and bimanual (pick-up cup and pour from pitcher) tasks.

Instructors' Perspectives of Social and Motor Influences on Participation in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Participation is key to childhood development and is essential for health and well-being; yet children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) participate less in social and physical activities compared to their typically developing peers and little is known about how social and motor challenges impact participation patterns.  The current research garnered experiential insights of the quality and quantity of participation, through the lens of instructors ( = 9) working with a child or children with ASD.  Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted to capture a comprehensive and informative profile of how social and motor functioning of children with ASD influence involvement in social and physical activities.

The influence of object size on second-order planning in an overturned cup task.

For children, second-order planning in object manipulation, as demonstrated by the end-state comfort (ESC) effect, is constrained by numerous factors. As a step towards delineating the influence of object size, children (ages 6-10, n = 113) and adults (ages 18-25, n = 17) performed an overturned cup task with 8 cup sizes (4.7-8.

How far will you go before switching hands? Handedness on the long pegboard across the lifespan.

Handedness is a significant behavioral asymmetry; however, there is debate surrounding the age at which hand preference develops, and little research has been conducted on handedness in older adults. The current study examined performance on the long pegboard, to identify similarities and differences in young children (ages 4-7 years), older children (ages 8-12 years), young adults (ages 18-25 years), and older adults (ages 70+ years). Average time per hole, number of hand switches, and errors were assessed with left- and right-hand starts.

Preferential Reaching and End-State Comfort: How Task Demands Influence Motor Planning.

Various factors (e.g., hand preference, object properties) constrain reach-to-grasp in hemispace.

Exploring Caregiver Perspectives of Social and Motor Skills in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Impact on Participation.

Participation is a key aspect of quality of life and is essential for children's well-being, yet children with disabilities are at risk for lower participation in social activities. For children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), social skills may present a significant obstacle for participation in activities of daily life; however, motor skill development may also serve an important contributing factor. Nevertheless, the link between social and motor skills in children with ASD is not fully understood.

Cross-lateralisation in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and motor skill performance.

Cross-lateralisation and increased motor difficulties have been reported in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Nevertheless, the question of how crossed (i.e.

Investigating the Efficacy of the Hand Selection Complexity Task Across the Lifespan.

There is inconsistent evidence demonstrating a relationship between task complexity and hand preference. However, analyzing the point at which task complexity overrides the decision to demonstrate a biomechanically efficient movement can enable complexity to be quantified. Young children (ages 3-7), adolescents (ages 8-12), young adults (ages 18-25), and older adults (ages 65+) performed a newly developed Hand Selection Complexity Task (HSCT) and completed the Waterloo Handedness Questionnaire (WHQ).

Associations between teacher training and measures of physical literacy among Canadian 8- to 12-year-old students.

Background: Quality physical education (PE) contributes to the development of physical literacy among children, yet little is known about how teacher training relates to this development. We assessed the association between teacher training, and the likelihood that children met recommended achievement levels for components of physical literacy as defined by the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (CAPL).

Methods: Canadian children (n = 4189; M = 10.

Hand selection in a preferential reaching task: The effects of object location, orientation, and task intention in preadolescent children.

Introduction And Methods: Hand selection was assessed in preadolescent children (ages 9-11) within a preferential reaching task to delineate the effects of object location, orientation, and task intention on the assessment procedure and compared to data previously acquired from young adults.

Results: The observed differences support the notion that children are still in a process of refining their movements in attempt to discern the most efficient and effective patterns of behavior. Notwithstanding differences in performance, similarities between preadolescents and young adults also emerged.

End-state comfort in two object manipulation tasks: Investigating how the movement context influences planning in children, young adults, and older adults.

The movement context (pantomime, pantomime with image/object as guide, and actual use) has been shown to influence end-state comfort-the propensity to prioritize a comfortable final hand position over an initially comfortable one-across the lifespan. The present study aimed to assess how the movement context (pantomime, using a dowel as the tool, and actual use) influences end-state comfort when acting with objects (glass/hammer) that differ in use-dependent experience. Children (ages 6-11, n = 70), young adults (n = 21), and older adults (n = 21) picked up an overturned glass to pour water and a hammer to hit a nail, where the handle faced away from the participant.