Special Issue "Physical Activity and Exercise Science for Children"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2021.

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Lesley Pritchard
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
Interests: physical activity; rehabilitation intervention and service delivery for children with cerebral palsy; goal-setting

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Knowledge on the adverse health outcomes associated with decreased physical activity in childhood is increasing. Evidence-based physical activity guidelines have provided useful benchmarks for studying the prevalence of childhood physical activity behaviors. We now understand that increased moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in childhood is associated with improved health, social and cognitive outcomes; evidence regarding the health benefits of decreasing sedentary behavior in childhood is also beginning to emerge. Children with disabilities and various medical conditions are often at even higher risk of being less physically active and may benefit from targeted interventions to change or increase their physical activity.

The goal of this Special Issue of Children is to address some of the current gaps in the literature related to childhood physical activity. We invite reviews and original research related to childhood physical activity with a particular focus on: 1) the effects of physical activity on the health and development of preschool children with and without disability or medical conditions; 2) the effects of increasing light physical activity (decreasing sedentary behavior) on developmental, health, social and cognitive outcomes for children of all ages, with or without disability or medical conditions; 3) outcomes associated with targeted physical activity interventions for children with disability and medical conditions; 4) research highlighting the factors associated with long-term behavior change related to physical activity, including studies focused on implementation of public health initiatives or targeted interventions for clinical populations. We are particularly interested in research with clinical implications for pediatric health care providers.

Prof. Dr. Lesley Pritchard
Guest Editor

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 papers will be 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 1600 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
  • exercise
  • sedentary behavior

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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Article
Does Perceived Competence Mediate between Ball Skills and Children’s Physical Activity and Enjoyment?
Children 2021, 8(7), 575; https://doi.org/10.3390/children8070575 - 04 Jul 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 523
Abstract
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 (Mage = 10.96 ± [...] Read more.
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 (Mage = 10.96 ± 0.76; 51.7% boys) from three elementary schools completed validated questionnaires assessing their perceived competence, self-reported PA, and PA enjoyment. Students’ actual ball skills (i.e., basketball, overhand throwing, striking) were measured by PE MetricsTM. Correlation analyses showed positive relationships among the study variables (rs ranging from 0.12 to 0.56). The structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses demonstrated that the mediation model produces a goodness-of-fit to the data: χ2/df = 52.03/32; CFI = 0.96; NFI = 0.90; IFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.05, SRMR = 0.04. Path coefficients suggested that actual ball skill competence was strongly associated with perceived competence (β = 0.36, p < 0.01), which in turn significantly predicted PA (β = 0.29, p < 0.01) and PA enjoyment (β = 0.35, p < 0.01). The findings highlight that ball skills significantly impact students’ perceived competence, positively and indirectly affecting their PA and PA enjoyment. This study provides empirical evidence that recommends intervention strategies aimed at fostering elementary school students’ PA and PA enjoyment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Exercise Science for Children)
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Article
Impact of Bilateral Coordinated Movement on Manipulative Skill Competency in Elementary School Students
Children 2021, 8(6), 517; https://doi.org/10.3390/children8060517 - 18 Jun 2021
Viewed by 418
Abstract
Background: Researchers have found that manipulative skill competency in childhood not only helps to improve physical activity participation but also helps adolescents learn specialized sports skills. This study aimed to examine the effects of an eight-week bilateral coordinated movement (BCM) intervention on manipulative [...] Read more.
Background: Researchers have found that manipulative skill competency in childhood not only helps to improve physical activity participation but also helps adolescents learn specialized sports skills. This study aimed to examine the effects of an eight-week bilateral coordinated movement (BCM) intervention on manipulative skill competency in school-aged children. Methods: The participants were 314 fourth-grade students from two elementary schools in China. This study used a two-arm quasi-experimental research design. For one elementary school, two fourth-grade classes were assigned to the BCM group and another two fourth-grade classes were assigned to the control group. For the other elementary school, one fourth-grade class was assigned to the BCM group and another fourth-grade class to the control group. The students in the BCM group received an eight-week, two 40 min BCM lessons in soccer, and another eight-week, two 40-min BCM lessons in basketball. The control group received an eight-week two regular 40 min PE lessons in soccer and basketball, respectively. The students’ manipulative skill competency in soccer and basketball skills were pre- and post-tested using the two PE metric assessment rubrics. Data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, and ANCOVA and ANOVA repeated measures. Results: The results showed a significant main effect of time (pre-test vs. post-test) in soccer skills (F = 273.095, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.468) and in basketball skills (F = 74.619, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.193). Additionally, the results revealed a significant main effect of the group (BCM group vs. control group) in soccer skills (F = 37.532, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.108) and a marginal significant main effect of the groups in basketball skills (F = 3.619, p = 0.058, η2 = 0.011). Furthermore, there was a significant interaction effect between the time and the group in soccer skills (F = 37.532, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.108) and in basketball skills (F = 18.380, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.056). Conclusions: It was concluded that after participation in the eight-week, 16 40 min lessons of BCM, the fourth-grade students showed greater improvement in soccer and basketball dribbling, passing and receiving skills, compared to the control group. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Exercise Science for Children)
Article
Is It Possible to Reduce the Relative Age Effect through an Intervention on Motor Competence in Preschool Children?
Children 2021, 8(5), 386; https://doi.org/10.3390/children8050386 - 13 May 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 577
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to find out whether a short 6-week intervention on motor competence can reduce the Relative Age Effect (RAE) of preschool children born in the first quarter, compared to those born in the fourth quarter of the same [...] Read more.
The purpose of the study was to find out whether a short 6-week intervention on motor competence can reduce the Relative Age Effect (RAE) of preschool children born in the first quarter, compared to those born in the fourth quarter of the same year. Seventy-six preschool children (5.20 ± 0.54 years) from Lugo (Spain) participated. A quasi-experimental pre-post-test design was used with an intervention group (n = 32) and a control group (n = 44). The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) was used to collect data before and after the intervention. The data show that, before the intervention, there are significant differences between the control and the intervention group in favor of the former (born in the first quarter of the year) in manual dexterity (p = 0.011), balance (p = 0.002), total test score (p = 0.008), and total percentile score (p = 0.010). After the application of the specific intervention, statistically significant differences were found in aiming and catching (p < 0.001), balance (p = 0.022), total test score (p = 0.001), and total percentile score (p < 0.001) in favor of the intervention group (born in the last quarter of the year). The results obtained suggest that the application of a specific intervention on MC could positively influence the improvement of MC in preschool children (boys and girls) and reduce the differences produced by the RAE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Exercise Science for Children)

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Commentary
Current and Future Implications of COVID-19 among Youth Wheelchair Users: 24-Hour Activity Behavior
Children 2021, 8(8), 690; https://doi.org/10.3390/children8080690 - 11 Aug 2021
Viewed by 350
Abstract
Preventative measures taken worldwide to decrease the transmission of COVID-19 have had a tremendous impact on youth. Following social restrictions, youth with and without physical disabilities are engaging in less physical activity, more increased sedentary behavior, and poor sleep habits. Specifically, youth wheelchair [...] Read more.
Preventative measures taken worldwide to decrease the transmission of COVID-19 have had a tremendous impact on youth. Following social restrictions, youth with and without physical disabilities are engaging in less physical activity, more increased sedentary behavior, and poor sleep habits. Specifically, youth wheelchair users (YWU) are likely disproportionately affected by COVID- 19 and have a higher risk of contraction due to underlying comorbidities. While we cannot control all of the negative long-term implications of COVID-19 for YWU, participation in positive 24-h activity behaviors can decrease chronic disease risk and the likelihood of long-term complications resulting from infection. This commentary is to extend the discourse on the importance of 24-h activity behaviors by focusing on YWU. Specifically, we discuss the importance of chronic disease prevention, provide a brief overview of 24-h activity behaviors, and outline some of the lessons that can be learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Exercise Science for Children)
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