1,721,051 research outputs found
Underweight children are agile but lack power
No full textGiven the knowledge gap in literature on the impact of undernutrition on muscular power and agility in school-aged children, the aim of this study was to compare physical fitness in such underweight- and normal weight children. In this cross-sectional study, 853 children were included (459 boys; mean age: 9.2 (1.8) years). The children were grouped according to their BMI-for-age-and-sex: normal weight (− 1 ≤ z-score < 2) and underweight (z-score < − 1). Within the underweight group, three thinness subgroups were composed: grade 1 (− 2 ≤ z-score < − 1), grade 2 (− 3 ≤ z-score < − 2) and grade 3 (z-score < − 3). Their agility, muscular endurance and power were assessed with the Performance and Fitness test battery (PERF-FIT). Regardless the country they lived in, the underweight children showed better agility (p = 0.012) and muscular endurance (p = 0.004) than those with normal weight. They presented with lower muscular power than the normal weight group, shown by significantly shorter overhead throwing distances (p = 0.017) and less standing long jump peak power (p < 0.001). The standing long jump peak power decreased further with increasing thinness grade (p = 0.027). Conclusion: Underweight children are more agile, but have lower muscular power compared to their normal weight peers. Its relationship with motor competence and physical activity, necessitates attention for tackling muscular strength deficiencies in these children, enabling them to meet the basic requirements for a healthy lifestyle later in life
Pediatric care for children with developmental coordination disorder, can we do better?
No full textThis paper adopts a method of narrative critical review based on a non-systematic search of the literature to provide insights into the trends of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) treatment and to point out some future alternative approaches to prevent secondary health implications in children with DCD. The cause of DCD is unknown, but evidence suggests that these children have atypical brain structure and function. Interventions to help children cope with their activity limitations are effective in improving motor competence and motor skill related fitness in the short term. Although activity-orientated interventions can improve motor outcomes in children with DCD, high quality intervention trials and evaluation of long-term effects are urgently needed. Importantly, motor coordination problems associated with DCD extend to exercise-related activities leading to reduced participation in play and sports, which causes secondary problems in muscular fitness and body composition. Hence, treatment goals should not be limited to the improvement of motor skills (in ADL), but should also focus on health-related quality of life. We therefore propose when noticing motor problems in a child, already before enrolling but also during intervention, to explore ways to adapt everyday physical activities to optimally match the child's skill level. Hence, such activities will not only train the skills and improve physical fitness but will lead to positive engagement, thereby preventing the child from opting out of active play and sports. This provides the child with chances for exercise-dependent learning and will also positively impact social-emotional well-being
Exploring Cultural Bias in Two Different Motor Competence Test Batteries When Used in African Children
No full textBoth the Movement Assessment Battery for Children second edition (M-ABC-2) and Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency second edition short form (BOT-2-SF) are frequently used in research and in the clinical practice to evaluate motor competence in children. Despite its widespread use in research, no studies have reported the results of case identification in African children. Comparing these two motor assessment tools for a different target group is important in order to select the most appropriate clinical and research tool. Methods. A total of 444 children performed MABC-2, 165 children also performed the BOT-2-SF and subsamples were tested on specific subtests of the BOT-2 (Running and Agility, Balance, and Strength). Tests were administered to randomly selected children between 6 and 10 years of age. Results: 36% for the children scored at or below the 16th percentile of the MABC-2, while this was 43%, 27%, and 23% for the component score in Manual Dexterity, Aiming and Catching, and Balance, respectively. Of the children 16% scored at or below the 17th percentile of the BOT-2-SF total score, while this was 3%, 9% and 22% for the subtest scores Running and agility, Balance, and Strength, respectively. A moderate correlation (r = 0.44) was found between total scores of the two tests. No significant correlations were found between the dynamic MABC-2 item (Jumping/Hopping) standard scores and any of the 9 balance items of the BOT-2. Conclusion: Far more children scored in the clinical “at risk” range (<16th percentile) when tested with the MABC-2 than with the BOT-2-SF. Overall, these children seemed not to be limited in motor performance measured by the BOT-2-SF, Running and Agility, and Balance. South African children did show lower levels of strength and explosive power. Children from different cultures will need tests for the specific motor skills that are representative for optimal functioning in their own setting. Thus, adapting reference norms and cut-off values may not be the optimal solution
Which items of the movement assessment battery for children are most sensitive for identifying children with probable developmental coordination disorder? Results from a large-scale study
No full textIntroduction: Despite the widespread use of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd edition (MABC-2), little is known about the sensitivity or specificity of the individual items to detect probable Developmental Coordination Disorder (p-DCD). This study examined which specific MABC-2 items were most sensitive to identify children with p-DCD and which items would predict p-DCD. Methods: Based on a large dataset including European and African children aged 3-16 years (n = 4916, typically developing (TD, 49.6% boys); n = 822 p-DCD (53.1 % boys), Hedges' g was calculated to establish the standardized mean difference (SMD) between p-DCD/TD. SMDs were considered substantial when absolute values at or above 1.4. Sensitivity and specificity of the raw MABC-2 item scores predicting p-DCD/TD per age band (AB) were established with logistic regression analysis. Results: AB1: Children with p-DCD performed substantially poorer on threading beads (SMD:-1.61) and jumping on mats (SMD: 1.61). By combining all items and the country of origin, the sensitivity was 61.7% and specificity 98.6%. AB2: Walking heel-to-toe forwards (SMD: 1.65) was substantially poorer in p-DCD. By combining all items and the country of origin, the sensitivity was 79.0% and specificity 97.6%. AB3: Catching a ball with the preferred (SMD: 1.8) or non- preferred (SMD: 1.61) hand, and for walking heel-to-toe backwards (SMD: 1.78) were substantially poorer in p-DCD. All items combined resulted in a sensitivity of 94.4% and specificity of 99.6%. Conclusion: Not all MABC-2 items are equally sensitive to distinguish between performances of pDCD and TD. Despite the good specificity, the sensitivity was only moderate in AB1-2, the age at which children learn culturally influenced motor skills.The Czech data collection was supported by the Czech Science Foundation [GACRˇ 21-15728X]. The UK, Dutch and Flemish data collection was supported by Pearson
Do Girls Have an Advantage Compared to Boys When Their Motor Skills Are Tested Using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd Edition?
No full textThis study aims to investigate sex-related differences in raw item scores on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd Edition (MABC-2) in a large data set collected in different regions across the world, seeking to unravel whether there is an interaction effect between sex and the origin of the sample (European versus African). In this retrospective study, a secondary analysis was performed on anonymized data of 7654 children with a mean age of 8.6 (range 3 to 16; SD: 3.4), 50.0% of whom were boys. Since country-specific norms were not available for all samples, the raw scores per age band (AB) were used for analysis. Our results clearly show that in all age bands sex-related differences are present. In AB1 and AB2, girls score better on most manual dexterity and balance items, but not aiming and catching items, whereas in AB3 the differences seem to diminish. Especially in the European sample, girls outperform boys in manual dexterity and balance items, whereas in the African sample these differences are less marked. In conclusion, separate norms for boys and girls are needed in addition to separate norms for geographical regions.The Czech data collection was supported by the Czech Science Foundation [GACR 21- ˇ 15728X]. The UK, Dutch and Flemish data collection was supported by Pearson.
We would like to thank Pearson for providing us with the anonymized data from the norm samplin
A continuum of balance performance between children with developmental coordination disorder, spastic cerebral palsy, and typical development
No full textBACKGROUND: Balance deficits are one of the most common impairments in developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and cerebral palsy (CP), with shared characteristics between both groups. However, balance deficits in DCD are very heterogeneous, but unlike in CP, they are poorly understood. AIM: To unravel the heterogeneity of balance performance in children with DCD by comparing them with CP and typical development (TD). DESIGN: Cross-sectional case-control study. SETTING: Different outpatient settings and the community. POPULATION: Children aged 5-10.9 years with TD (N.=64, boys: 34, mean [SD] age: 8.1 [1.6]), DCD (N.=39, boys: 32, mean [SD] age: 8.1 [1.5], formal diagnosis [N.=27]), and CP (N.=24, boys: 14, mean [SD] age: 7.5 [1.4], GMFCS level I [N.=14]/II [N.=10], unilateral [N.=13]/bilateral [N.=11]). METHODS: We evaluated balance performance with the extended version of the Kids-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Kids-BESTest). Between-group differences in domain and total scores (%) were assessed via ANCOVA (covariate: age), with Tukey post-hoc analyses (P RESULTS: Children with DCD and CP performed poorer than TD children on total and domain scores with large effects (domains: eta(2)=0.25-0.66 [P CONCLUSIONS: There is a continuum of balance performance between children with TD, DCD and CP, but with great inter- and intra-individual heterogeneity in DCD and CP. DCD and CP children have difficulties with tasks requiring anticipatory postural adjustments, fast reactive responses, and with tasks that require complex sensory integration, suggesting an internal modeling deficit in both groups. This implies that these children must rely on slow conscious feedback-based control rather than fast feedforward control and fast automatic feedback. The performance of both DCD and CP children on their stability limits/verticality is similarly poor which further emphasizes a potential deficit in their sensory input and/or integration. Future research must focus on unraveling the control mechanisms, to further understand the heterogeneity of these balance deficits. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The heterogeneous balance performances in both children with DCD and CP underscore the importance of comprehensively evaluating balance deficits in both groups. This comprehensive assessment contributes to a better understanding of individual balance deficits, thereby facilitating more tailored treatment programs.We would like to thank all the children and parents who volunteered and the schools and therapists who collaborated and helped with the recruitment of the children and patients. a special thank you to the cerebral palsy referral center antwerp (cepra) for the recruitment of children with cerebral palsy and colleagues silke Velghe and Mieke Goetschalckx for the recruitment of children with developmental coordination disorder. thank you to all master students at both hasselt university and university of antwerp for the help during the test sessions. thank you, Erik fransen, for the statistical support
How can instructions and feedback with external focus be shaped to enhance motor learning in children? A systematic review
No full textAim This systematic review investigates the effectiveness of instructions and feedback with external focus applied with reduced frequency, self-controlled timing and/or in visual or auditory form, on the performance of functional gross motor tasks in children aged 2 to 18 with typical or atypical development. Methods Four databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase) were systematically searched (last updated May 31st 2021). Inclusion criteria were: 1. children aged 2 to 18 years old; 2. Instructions/feedback with external focus applied with reduced frequency, self-controlled timing, and/or visual or auditory form as intervention, to learn functional gross motor tasks; 3. Instructions/feedback with external focus applied with continuous frequency, instructor-controlled timing, and/or verbal form as control; 4. performance measure as outcome; 5. (randomized) controlled studies. Article selection and risk of bias assessment (with the Cochrane risk of bias tools) was conducted by two reviewers independently. Due to heterogeneity in study characteristics and incompleteness of the reported data, a best-evidence synthesis was performed. Results Thirteen studies of low methodological quality were included, investigating effectiveness of reduced frequencies (n = 8), self-controlled timing (n = 5) and visual form (n =1) on motor performance of inexperienced typically (n = 348) and atypically (n = 195) developing children, for acquisition, retention and/or transfer. For accuracy, conflicting or no evidence was found for most comparisons, at most time points. However, there was moderate evidence that self-controlled feedback was most effective for retention, and limited evidence that visual analogy was most effective for retention and transfer. To improve quality of movement, there was limited evidence that continuous frequency was most effective for retention and transfer. Conclusion More methodologically sound studies are needed to draw conclusions about the preferred frequency, timing or form. However, we cautiously advise considering self-controlled feedback, visual instructions, and continuous frequency
Motor difficulties in children with neurodevelopmental conditions: a report from a cross-national study in Belgian and Italian children
No full textMotor behavior alterations are common in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism, developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but the extent of motor impairment remains unclear. In autism and ADHD, motor difficulties may be linked to co-occurring DCD, which often goes unrecognized. We aimed to map the prevalence of DCD in autism and ADHD, and to explore motor skill difficulties using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2), by comparing children with typical motor development (TMD) with those who have NDDs, and by identifying specific profiles among NDDs. A combined sample of participants (n = 215), including autistic children with(out) intellectual disability (ID) and children with ADHD, DCD, and TMD, performed the MABC-2. Depending on co-occurring DCD/ID, subgroups were composed: autism-only (n = 17), autism + ID (n = 17), autism + DCD (n = 40), ADHD-only (n = 14), ADHD + DCD (n = 12), DCD (n = 25), and TMD (n = 59). MABC-2 differences between TMD/NDDs (Mann-Whitney U test) and among NDDs (Kruskal-Wallis test) were assessed. DCD occurred in 70.2% of the autistic children without ID and in 46.2% of those with ADHD. Children with NDDs performed significantly worse than the TMD (p < 0.001). Manual dexterity skills, aiming and catching, and balance were significantly different across the NDD subgroups (p <= 0.001). Particularly children with ( +)DCD and autism + ID performed worse on manual dexterity skills. Children with ( +)DCD were outperformed on aiming and catching. All subgroups, except the ADHD-only group, performed poorly on balance. Conclusion: Distinct motor difficulties were identified across various NDDs. Children with co-occurring ID or DCD exhibit unique challenges, stressing the importance of motor profile subgrouping. What Is Known: center dot Despite the common occurrence of motor behavior in neurodevelopmental disorders, the extent of motor impairment remains unclear. center dot Motor difficulties in autism and ADHD may be linked to co-occurring DCD, which often goes unrecognized. What Is New: center dot DCD occurred in 70% of the autistic children without ID and in 46% of those with ADHD. center dot Children with co-occurring ID or DCD exhibit unique challenges, stressing the importance of motor profile subgrouping.This work was supported by grants from the Italian Ministry of Health (Ricerca Finalizzata GR2011-02348929; Ricerca Corrente 2024-2025) and from FWO (grant number: 43498 (1117621N), 2020
Feasibility of fNIRS in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder
No full textINTRODUCTION: Balance deficits are heterogeneous among children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Balance performance depends on different balance domains, each associated with specific underlying neurological systems. In DCD, any of these domains can be affected, but the control mechanisms are poorly understood. The mirror neuron system (MNS) seems to play a key-role in DCD-related deficits. To understand the role of MNS as a control mechanism underlying the balance deficits, simultaneous registration of cortical MNS activity while performing balance tasks is imperative. Therefore, a protocol for combining real-time registration of cortical MNS activity during functional balance tasks in children with DCD, CP and TD is introduced. Methods: Children with DCD, CP and TD (n=108) aged 5-10yr perform preselected tasks of the Kids-BESTest, representing specific balance domains (mixed design): leaning with eyes closed (stability limits/verticality), single-leg-stance, alternate stair touching (anticipatory balance), in-place response, compensatory stepping backward (reactive balance) and walking over obstacles (gait stability). Simultaneously, functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) monitors cortical activity involving the MNS: premotor, inferior and superior parietal cortex and supplementary motor area. An 8-8-optode bundle, making 22 channels, targets this region of interest. Outcome measures are: (de)oxygenated hemoglobin concentration changes per task per channel. Results: In this ongoing research, the protocol was already feasible in 19 children (7.52±1.19). Conclusion: Simultaneous registration of cortical MNS activity (fNIRS) and Kids-BESTest scores will help increase the understanding of the control mechanisms underlying the heterogeneous balance problems in DCD. Consequently, first steps are made to confirm whether DCD shows deviant or delayed development. DISCLOSURE: No significant relationships
Do physical fitness and motor skill performances in underweight children differ from normal weight peers? A meta-analysis
No full textAbstract Background Undernourished children are at risk of mortality and infection and tend to present with impaired cognitive and physical development with potentially lower physical fitness and motor skill competence. This meta-analysis aimed to compare the physical fitness and motor skill competence of underweight (UW) 3–12-year-old children to that of normal-weight (NW) peers of the same age. Methods PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were systematically searched (last update: April 4th, 2024). The methodological quality of the studies was assessed with the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network checklist. Pooled standardized mean differences (SMD; Hedges’ g) were calculated using random-effects meta-analyses. Heterogeneity was considered too high if the I-squared value exceeded 50%. Then, subgroup analysis was considered. The level of evidence was estimated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) method. Results Seventeen studies were included in the meta-analysis on physical fitness, while six focused on motor skills, with one study contributing to both. Overall, children with UW have slightly lower physical fitness (SMD = -0.10) and motor skill competence (SMD = -0.12) compared to their NW peers, but the evidence to support this is very low. In North America and Europe, there was no significant difference in physical fitness between the groups. Asian and African children with UW have slightly but significantly weaker strength than NW peers (Asia: SMD = -0.21 Africa: SMD = -0.27). Asian UW children present with weaker anaerobic capacity (SMD = -0.25), whereas African UW children have less flexibility (SMD = -0.16) than NW peers. Conclusion UW children are less fit and have weaker motor skills than NW peers. Specifically in developing regions, UW children exhibited slightly but significantly poorer performance in specific fitness domains. Therefore, not all UW children will experience these problems. The heterogeneity across the studies may have masked the true differences. Future research on these children is needed to help us understand their profiles better. PROSPERO registration number CRD42023446239
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