The Associations of Physical Activity and Health-Risk Behaviors toward Depressive Symptoms among College Students: Gender and Obesity Disparities.

Engaging in health-risk behaviors (HRBs) may be correlated with depressive symptoms among college students, but these relationships require more research. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of physical activity levels (i.e.

Overweight/obesity and socio-demographic disparities in children's motor and cognitive function.

Fundamental motor skills (FMS) and cognitive function are important indicators of development in early childhood. Using a cross-sectional design, the purpose of this study was to investigate obesity (healthy weight vs. overweight/obese) and socio-demographic (i.

Home- and Community-Based Interventions for Physical Activity and Early Child Development: A Systematic Review of Effective Strategies.

This systematic review examined the effects of home/family and community-based interventions on physical activity (PA) and developmental outcomes in early childhood. A search strategy was employed using four electronic databases (Academic Search Complete, CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, and SPORTDiscus). Interventions investigating weight status (i.

Disparity in Built Environment and Its Impacts on Youths' Physical Activity Behaviors During COVID-19 Pandemic Restrictions.

Objectives: Guided by the social ecological model, this study aimed to examine the relations of built environments (i.e., walking/cycling infrastructure, recreation facilities, neighborhood safety/crime), youth's transition abilities, and changes of youth's physical activity (PA) and play behaviors due to COVID-19-based restrictions.

Adolescents' Behaviors, Fitness, and Knowledge Related to Active Living before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Background: Nearly all schools in the United States experienced shutdown followed by phased reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby limiting students' opportunities for physical activity (PA). This study aimed to examine adolescents' PA at school (PAS) and PA out-of-school (PAO), screen-based sedentary behaviors (SbSB), health-related fitness, and knowledge understanding about PA and fitness before and during the pandemic.

Methods: Three rounds of data were collected: Time 1 pre-pandemic (January 2020; = 405), Time 2 schools partially reopened (February 2021; = 412), and Time 3 schools fully reopened (March 2021; = 450).

Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cognitive Function with Psychological Well-Being in School-Aged Children.

Background: Promotion of psychological well-being (PWB) is an emerging social, educational, and health objective, especially for school-aged children. Few studies have examined key correlates and determinants of PWB in school-aged children. This study aimed to examine associations of cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive function with psychological well-being in school-aged children.

Adolescents' Physical Activity and Depressive Symptoms: A Psychosocial Mechanism.

Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; Ajzen, 1991), this study aimed to test a hypothesized path model of TPB variables (i.e., attitude toward behavior, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intention) with physical activity (PA) and depressive symptoms.

The Impacts of Coordinated-Bilateral Ball Skills Intervention on Attention and Concentration, and Cardiorespiratory Fitness among Fourth-Grade Students.

Background: Both cognitive function and cardiorespiratory fitness are significant correlates of physical and mental health. The exploration of innovative school-based PA intervention strategies to improve cognitive function and cardiorespiratory fitness is of great interest for researchers and school educators. This study aimed at examining the effectiveness of the coordinated-bilateral ball skills (CBBS) intervention in improving cognitive function and cardiorespiratory fitness among 4th-grade students.

Parent-Reported Motivators and Barriers to Participation in a Community-Based Intervention Designed for Children With Motor Skill Difficulties: A Qualitative Program Evaluation.

Introduction: Parents play a critical role in their child's participation in community-based intervention programs. Yet, their perspectives remain largely overlooked in the literature. This qualitative program evaluation used social cognitive theory to understand parents' motivators and barriers to participation in a community-based intervention program designed for children with motor skill difficulties.

The Roles of Sex and Minority Status in Children's Motivation and Psychomotor Learning.

In this study, we had two inter-related goals: (a) to examine sex and minority status differences on children's motivation for physical education (PE; i.e., their expectancy beliefs, subjective task values, and situational interest) and their psychomotor learning outcomes (i.

Does Perceived Competence Mediate between Ball Skills and Children's Physical Activity and Enjoyment?

The major purpose of this study was to examine the potential mediating role of perceived motor skill competence on relationships between actual ball skills and children's physical activity (PA) and PA enjoyment. A total of 294 students ( = 10.96 ± 0.

Longitudinal Effects of Motivation and Physical Activity on Depressive Symptoms among College Students.

High prevalence of depression and physical inactivity have been consistently reported among college students, especially in females. Guided by Lubans et al.'s conceptual framework, the primary purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal relationships of PA motivation with leisure-time PA and depressive symptoms among college students over one academic year.

The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on physical activity in U.S. children.

Background: Daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is vital to the physical, mental, and social well-being of children. Early restrictions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic included the closure of schools and physical activity (PA) amenities across the US. This study aimed to examine the impact of the pandemic on the PA and play behavior of U.

A Mediation Analysis of the Association between Fundamental Motor Skills and Physical Activity during Middle Childhood.

The purposes of the study were: (1) to investigate the associations between fundamental motor skills (FMS), health-related fitness (HRF) and physical activity (PA) during middle childhood; and (2) to examine whether HRF serves as a mediator in these pathways. The participants were 342 children (156 girls; Mage = 8.40, SD = 0.

Movement behaviors and health-related fitness among peripubertal adolescents: 2012 NHANES national youth fitness survey data.

Background: Less than half of adolescents in the United States meet the recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and health-related fitness (HRF). Using the 2012 NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey data, this study aimed to examine the associations of movement behaviors (i.e.

A Causal Pathway of Physical Activity to Motor Competence in Childhood:Evidence from a School-based Intervention.

This study aimed to examine whether changes in physical activity (PA) after an 8-week pedometer-based intervention would result in changes on motor competence through competence beliefs towards physical education (PE). The study also evaluated whether the hypothesized causal pathway differed by gender. Participants were 259 children (Mean  = 10.

The mediating roles of sleep quality and sedentary behavior between physical fitness and depression among female college freshmen.

This study aimed to investigate interactions among physical fitness, sleep quality, sedentary behavior, and depression among female college freshmen. A cohort of 1,514 Chinese female college freshmen ( = 18.8 ± .

Physical Fitness Promotion among Adolescents: Effects of a Jump Rope-Based Physical Activity Afterschool Program.

The major purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a jump rope-based physical activity afterschool program on middle school students' physical fitness. Sixty students ( = 13.37, = 0.

Accessing Physical Activity and Health Disparities among Underserved Hispanic Children: The Role of Actual and Perceived Motor Competence.

Promoting physical activity (PA) and eliminating health disparities among underserved minority children is a public health priority. The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of actual motor competence (a set of object control skills) and perceived motor competence with PA participation and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among underserved Hispanic children who were born in the U.S.

Psychosocial Mechanism of Adolescents' Depression: A Dose-Response Relation with Physical Activity.

Depression has become the most prevalent mental health problem in developing countries, and especially among adolescents. Lubans and his colleagues proposed a psychosocial mechanism to understand the trajectory of mental health (i.e.

Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health and Movement Behaviors During Childhood: Examining the Longitudinal Developmental Patterns.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal developmental patterns of mental health (i.e., physical, psychosocial, and executive functioning) and movement behaviors (i.

Effects of a Need-Supportive Motor Skill Intervention on Children's Motor Skill Competence and Physical Activity.

A need-supportive environment can provide various motivational benefits to impact children's psychomotor developmental levels. However, very little is known about the effects of need-supportive motor skill intervention on children's motor skill competence and physical activity by gender. Guided by self-determination theory (SDT), this study aimed to (a) investigate the effect of a need-supportive fundamental movement skill (FMS) program on children's FMS competence and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and (b) explore potential gender differences in these effects.

The Roles of Individual and Psychosocial Factors in Predicting Quality of Life Among Working Women in Shanghai.

Working women are at a high risk of suffering from occupational stress and burnout, which can result in reducing Quality of Life (QoL). Guided by the QoL construct and Luban et al.'s conceptual framework, this study aimed to (a) investigate the roles of individual factors (i.

School-Based Sedentary Behavior, Physical Activity, and Health-Related Outcomes among Hispanic Children in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between school-based sedentary behavior, physical activity, and health-related outcomes, including cardiorespiratory fitness, weight status, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among Hispanic children. The participants were 374 children (192 boys, 182 girls; = 9.64) recruited from four elementary schools from 3rd grade through to 5th grade.

Effects of a Fundamental Motor Skill-Based Afterschool Program on Children's Physical and Cognitive Health Outcomes.

Globally, more than half of school-aged children do not engage in the recommended 60 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Given that developing sufficient fundamental motor skills (FMS) competence during early elementary school years is important for a child's physical and cognitive development, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an 8-week FMS-based afterschool program on physical and cognitive health outcomes among elementary children. Participants were 31 K-2 students (19 girls, 12 boys; age = 6.