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The Promotion of Motor Behavior and Physical Activity in Children:...
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The Promotion of Motor Behavior and Physical Activity in Children: The Present and a Challenge for Future

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Pediatric Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 May 2025) | Viewed by 2182

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Patrizia Tortella

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Guest Editor
Department of Human and Society Sciences, University of Enna “Kore”, 94100 Enna, Italy
Interests: physical education; health and health promotion; motor development and learning; motivational factors; executive functions
Prof. Dr. Hermundur Sigmundsson

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Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
Interests: learning; skill development; language; reading; psychology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Monika Haga

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Guest Editor
Department of Teacher Education, Section for Arts, Physical Education and Sports, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7010 Trondheim, Norway
Interests: physical education; health and health promotion; motor development and learning; motivational factors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Clarice Maria De Lucena Martins

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Guest Editor
Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health, Research Centre of Physical Activity, Health and Leisure, Faculty of Sports, University of Porto, 96810-012 Porto, Portugal
Interests: physical activity; motor competence; health; children; movement behavior
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Fotini Venetsanou

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Guest Editor
School of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Ethnikis Antistaseos 41, 17237 Athens, Greece
Interests: motor competence; physical activity; physical literacy; movement assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Donatella Di Corrado

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Human and Society Sciences, University of Enna “Kore”, 94100 Enna, Italy
Interests: early childhood education; sport psychology; child development; pediatric health; mental imagery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the critical intersection of motor competence, physical fitness, and physical activity in childhood, key factors for healthy growth and development. Over the past decades, research has highlighted the significance of these elements in shaping both the physical and cognitive development of children, as well as in fostering lifelong healthy behaviors.

The aim of this Special Issue is to explore cutting-edge research that delves into these themes and to examine how factors such as play, perceived competence, cognitive development, motivation, and well-being contribute to promoting physical activity. We invite contributions that address a wide range of topics, including but not limited to motor competence, physical fitness, cognitive processes, outdoor activity, and the challenges posed by modern society.

We welcome empirical studies, reviews, and theoretical papers that offer innovative insights into how to support and enhance physical activity in children, ensuring a healthier future.

Dr. Patrizia Tortella
Prof. Dr. Hermundur Sigmundsson
Prof. Dr. Monika Haga
Dr. Clarice Maria De Lucena Martins
Dr. Fotini Venetsanou
Prof. Dr. Donatella Di Corrado
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physical activity
  • motor competence
  • physical fitness
  • cognitive processes
  • outdoor activity
  • children

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 671 KiB  
Article
Predictors of Static Postural Loading in Primary-School-Aged Children: Comparing Elastic Net and Multiple Regression Methods
by Mohammad Ali Mohseni Bandpei, Reza Osqueizadeh, Hamidreza Goudarzi, Nahid Rahmani and Abbas Ebadi
Children 2025, 12(6), 744; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12060744 - 8 Jun 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Adverse effects of a sedentary lifestyle on an individual’s overall health are inevitable. With reference to primary-school-aged children, the establishment of effective postural hygiene is critical as it not only promotes optimal musculoskeletal development but also significantly influences their long-term well-being and [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Adverse effects of a sedentary lifestyle on an individual’s overall health are inevitable. With reference to primary-school-aged children, the establishment of effective postural hygiene is critical as it not only promotes optimal musculoskeletal development but also significantly influences their long-term well-being and productivity. This study aimed to develop and internally validate a regularized regression model to predict static postural loading (SPL) in primary school children. Methods: The outcome and predictors of SPL were shortlisted through a systematic review of the literature and expert panels. Data were derived from 258 primary school children. We developed regularized elastic net (EN) and used multiple linear regression (MLR) as a reference. Both models were fitted through five-fold cross-validation with 10 iterations. The grid search technique was used to find the optimal combination of hyperparameters α and λ for the EN. We conducted a permutation importance analysis to obtain and compare predictor rankings for each model. Results: Both models presented a good and comparable fit, with the EN marginally outperforming the MLR in error metrics. Postural risk, sedentary behavior, task duration, and BMI were the most important predictors of SPL in primary school children. Conclusions: The proof of a direct impact of a sedentary lifestyle on children’s overall health is both credible and alarming. Hence, proper identification and management of contributing factors to static postural loading in this age group is critical. In various clinical settings, where the objective is to develop a model that accurately forecasts the outcome, advanced regularized regression methods have evidently shown great performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Promotion of Motor Behavior and Physical Activity in Children: The Present and a Challenge for Future)
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14 pages, 1369 KiB  
Article
Motor Skill Development at Preschool Age in Girls and Boys: The Role of Outdoor Free Play
by Valentina Biino, Caterina Pesce and Clarice Martins
Children 2025, 12(5), 594; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12050594 - 2 May 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Trajectories of fundamental movement skill (FMS) development start diverging in females and males in early childhood, with determinants of this divergence spanning from individual to social and environmental factors. The present cross-sectional study focuses on the role of free outdoor play and [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Trajectories of fundamental movement skill (FMS) development start diverging in females and males in early childhood, with determinants of this divergence spanning from individual to social and environmental factors. The present cross-sectional study focuses on the role of free outdoor play and aims to investigate whether sex differences in FMS typically observed in early childhood are associated with participation in free outdoor play. Methods: One hundred and forty-two children aged 4.3 ± 0.8 yrs were evaluated for locomotor and object control skills (TGMD-3), weight status (BMI), and free outdoor play (parent-reported). Motor skill competence scores were submitted to moderated regression analyses to evaluate the individual and joint effects of sex, outdoor play, age, and BMI; interrelations among these variables were also estimated with network analysis. Results: Results of the moderated regression showed, beyond the expected prediction of motor skill competence (overall and object control skills) by sex and age, also a significant sex x outdoor play interaction, with higher motor skills being predicted by more frequent outdoor play in males only. The network analysis confirmed a positive association between outdoor play and motor skill competence in males but not in females. Conclusions: Males might capitalize on free outdoor play opportunities as early as preschool age to engage in activities that promote their motor and especially object control skill development. Longitudinal studies are needed to test causality and derive practical indications for enabling both males and females to fully exploit the opportunities provided by free outdoor play to exercise both locomotor and object control skills. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Promotion of Motor Behavior and Physical Activity in Children: The Present and a Challenge for Future)
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