Motor Competence, Cognition, Movement Behaviors, and Physical Fitness in Children and Adolescents: New Theoretical and Statistical Approaches

Dear Colleagues,

The study of motor competence, cognition, movement behaviors, and physical fitness in children has gained prominence due to its impact on child development and lifelong health. Traditionally, these relationships have been demonstrated through conventional statistical approaches, which often fail to capture the complexity, non-linearity, and interdependence among these variables. This Special Issue aims to present new theoretical and statistical approaches, including network science, which enables the simultaneous analysis of multiple interactions, revealing more robust and interconnected patterns in child development. This Special Issue seeks to understand how different motor competence profiles influence cognition and physical fitness and investigate the role of movement behaviors in motor and cognitive development during early and middle childhood and adolescence. The application of these innovative methodologies provides advanced insights into the factors that modulate child development, allowing for the creation of more effective intervention strategies in educational and sports settings. As a result, these findings can assist educators, health professionals, and researchers in better understanding how to promote healthy motor and cognitive development.

Dr. Paulo Felipe Bandeira
Dr. Clarice Maria De Lucena Martins
Dr. Mabliny Thuany
Guest Editors

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