Abordagem antropobiológica da selecção em desporto : Estudo multivariado de indicadores bio-sociais da selecção em andebolistas dos dois sexos dos 13 aos 16 anos de idade

Dissertação de Doutoramento em Ciência do Desporto, área de especialização em Antropologia do Desporto, apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências do Desporto e de Educação Física da Universidade do Port

Neuromotor performance, prematurity and low birth weight

Parece ser consensual que as influências intrauterinas durante o desenvolvimento humano podem ter implicações a longo prazo. Há quem avance a hipótese da indução de alterações no ciclo de vida de um indivíduo provocando lesões, algumas irreversíveis. Os objectivos deste trabalho foram: (1) chamar a atenção para a problemática dos efeitos à distância do desempenho neuromotor, prematuridade e baixo peso à nascença em crianças e jovens; (2) apresentar aspectos relevantes do quadro conceptual da programação fetal e da sua relevância interpretativa na insuficiência de desempenho motor e coordenativo. Realizou-se uma pesquisa na base de dados Pubmed por meio de uma estratégia de busca com palavras-chave e suas possíveis combinações e foram seleccionados os estudos (transversais, longitudinais e caso-controlo) sobre avaliação da performance motora e da programação fetal. Na população europeia, os valores dos défices motores variaram entre 4% e 51%. A população norte americana apresentou valores que se situam entre 4% e 56%. Uma pesquisa realizada com a população da Austrália encontrou um défice de coordenação motora de 9,5%. Não existe concordância absoluta acerca da sua extensão, reversibilidade e significado face à enorme variabilidade dos valores dos défices. Não são conhecidos aspectos dos eventuais mecanismos que, em condições adversas no desenvolvimento fetal, induzirão problemas no desenvolvimento neuromotor de crianças, jovens e adultos, e que não possam ser "compensados" com estimulação sensório-motora.There seems to be consensus that intrauterine influences during human development have long-term implications. The hypothesis has been raised that alterations in an individual's life cycle provoke lesions, some of them irreversible. The objectives of this study were: (1) to call attention to the problem of distance effects of neuromotor performance, prematurity and low birth weight in children and youngsters; (2) to present relevant aspects of the conceptual framework of fetal programming and its interpretive relevance for deficits in motor performance and coordination. A Pubmed database search was performed using different key words and their possible combinations. Cross-sectional, longitudinal and case-control studies evaluating motor performance and fetal programming were selected. Motor deficit levels ranged from 4% to 51% in the European population and from 4% to 56% in the North American population. A study involving the Australian population reported a motor coordination deficit of 9.5%. There is no absolute agreement regarding the extent, reversibility and significance of motor deficits in view of the wide variability in deficit levels. The mechanisms that will induce problems in the neuromotor development of children, youngsters and adults under adverse conditions of fetal development are unknown and cannot be compensated for by sensorimotor stimulation

Maturação biológica: da sua relevância à aprendizagem do método TW3

Este estudo teve os seguintes objetivos: (1) apresentar procedimentos metodológicos utilizados na estimação da idade óssea; (2) descrever o método Tanner-Whitehouse (TW3), e (3) destacar os resultados da reprodutibilidade deste método em crianças e jovens. A metodologia adotada na preparação do processo de aprendizagem e reprodutibilidade do método TW3 foi estruturada em três fases, tendo sido realizadas em duas Instituições de ensino (Portugal e Bélgica), sob a orientação e supervisão de avaliadores experientes. Após várias etapas de treinamento, os resultados alcançados na avaliação inter e intraobservador situaram-se entre 81,3 e 87,9%. Os resultados finais do estudo possibilitaram comprovar a eficácia de um rigoroso processo de treino, como elemento essencial na preparação prévia do avaliador, para a utilização da avaliação da maturação esquelética com base no método TW3

Centile curves and reference values for height, body mass, body mass index and waist circumference of peruvian children and adolescents

This study aimed to provide height, body mass, BMI and waist circumference (WC) growth centile charts for school-children, aged 4–17 years, from central Peru, and to compare Peruvian data with North-American and Argentinean references. The sample consisted of 8753 children and adolescents (4130 boys and 4623 girls) aged 4 to 17 years, from four Peruvian cities: Barranco, La Merced, San Ramón and Junín. Height, body mass and WC were measured according to standardized techniques. Centile curves for height, body mass, BMI and WC were obtained separately for boys and girls using the LMS method. Student t-tests were used to compare mean values. Overall boys have higher median heights than girls, and the 50th percentile for body mass increases curvilinearly from 4 years of age onwards. In boys, the BMI and WC 50th percentiles increase linearly and in girls, the increase presents a curvilinear pattern. Peruvian children are shorter, lighter and have higher BMI than their counterparts in the U.S. and Argentina; in contrast, age and sex-specific WC values are lower. Height, body mass and WC of Peruvian children increased with age and variability was higher at older ages. The growth patterns for height, body mass, BMI and WC among Peruvian children were similar to those observed in North-American and Argentinean peers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Longitudinal studies on somatic growth and motor performance: designs, challenges and needs

O objetivo principal desta revisão é fornecer uma visão geral dos principais estudos longitudinais e longitudinais-mistos que se centraram sobre o crescimento somático, maturação biológica e, mais recentemente, também no desempenho físico. Somente foram considerados os estudos realizados na América do Norte, Europa e países de língua portuguesa. Em primeiro lugar, são apresentadas as principais considerações teóricas, características gerais, o delineamento do estudo e análise estatística multivariada dos dados. Na segunda parte, é edificado o panorama geral sobre os estudos emblemáticos de natureza longitudinal e longitudinal-mista. Finalmente, foram considerados alguns dos principais desafios que se colocam à pesquisa longitudinal

An allometric modelling approach to identify the optimal body shape associated with, and differences between brazilian and peruvian youth motor performance

Children fromdevelopedanddevelopingcountriesdifferintheirbodysizeandshapedueto markeddifferencesacrosstheirlifehistorycausedbysocial,economicandculturaldifferenceswhicharealsolinkedtotheirmotorperformance(MP).Weusedallometricmodelsto identifysize/shapecharacteristicsassociatedwithMPtestsbetweenBrazilianandPeruvianschoolchildren.Atotalof4,560subjects,2,385girlsand2,175boysaged9–15years werestudied.Heightandweightweremeasured;biological maturation wasestimated with thematurityoffsettechnique;MPmeasuresincludedthe12minuterun(12MR),handgrip strength(HG),standinglongjump(SLJ)andtheshuttlerunspeed(SR)tests;physicalactivity(PA)wasassessedusingtheBaeckequestionnaire.Amultiplicativeallometricmodel wasadoptedtoadjustforbodysizedifferencesacrosscountries.Reciprocalponderalindex (RPI)wasfoundtobethemostsuitablebodyshapeindicatorassociatedwiththe12MR, SLJ,HGandSRperformance.Apositivematurationoffset parameterwasalsoassociated withabetterperformanceinSLJ,HGandSRtests.Sexdifferenceswerefoundinallmotor tests.BrazilianyouthshowedbetterscoresinMPthantheirPeruvianpeers,evenwhen controlling fortheirbodysizedifferencesThecurrentstudyidentifiedthekeybodysize associatedwithfourbodymass-dependentMPtests.Biological maturationandPAwere associatedwithstrengthandmotorperformance.Sexdifferenceswerefoundinallmotor tests,aswellasacrosscountriesfavoringBrazilianchildrenevenwhenaccountingfortheir bodysize/shapedifferences

Tracking of fatness during childhood, adolescence and young adulthood: a 7-year follow-up study in Madeira Island, Portugal

Aims: Investigating tracking of fatness from childhood to adolescence, early adolescence to young adulthood and late adolescence to young adulthood. Subjects and methods: Participants from the Madeira Growth Study were followed during an average period of 7.2 years. Height, body mass, skin-folds and circumferences were measured, nine health- and performance-related tests were administered and the Baecke questionnaire was used to assess physical activity. Skeletal maturity was estimated using the TW3 method. Results: The prevalence of overweight plus obesity ranged from 8.2–20.0% at baseline and from 20.4–40.0% at followup, in boys. Corresponding percentages for girls were 10.6– 12.0% and 13.2–18.0%. Inter-age correlations for fatness indicators ranged from 0.43–0.77. BMI, waist circumference and sum of skin-folds at 8, 12 and 16-years old were the main predictors of these variables at 15, 19 and 23-years old, respectively. Strength, muscular endurance and aerobic fitness were negatively related to body fatness. Physical activity and maturation were independently associated with adolescent (15 years) and young adult (19 years) fatness. Conclusions: Over 7.2 years, tracking was moderate-to-high for fatness. Variance was explained by fatness indicators and to a small extent by physical fitness, physical activity and maturation

PARTHENOLECANIUM CORNI (BOUCHÉ) (HEMIPTERA COCCIDAE) IN VINEYARDS IN PORTUGAL: MORPHOLOGY, SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT, LIFE CYCLE AND REPRODUCTION

Due to the type of damage associated with scale insects of genus Parthenolecanium sp. (Hemiptera Coccidae) on vineyards and the increase of its importance, these pests have been studied in central region of Portugal. We addressed the following objectives: i) identification and morphological characterization of soft scales occur in vineyards and the parasitoids associated; ii) seasonal development and life cycle; iii) reproduction. The examined scale were identified as Parthenolecanium corni (Bouché, 1844), despite the existence of some morphological differences and fertility levels recorded in the two regions studied. Coccophagus lycimnia (Walker, 1839) (Hymenoptera Aphelinidae) and Metaphycus dispar (Mercet, 1925) (Hymenoptera Encyrtidae) parasitize the studied P. corni. Based on laboratory and field bioassays, some aspects of morphology as well the seasonal development, life cycle and reproduction are presented

Multivariate analysis of lifestyle, constitutive and body composition factors influencing bone health in community-dwelling older adults from Madeira, Portugal

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Developmental and physical-fitness associations with gross motor coordination problems in peruvian children

he aims of this cross-sectional study were to examine the developmental characteristics (biological maturation and body size) associated with gross motor coordination problems in 5193 Peruvian children (2787 girls) aged 6–14 years from different geographical locations, and to investigate how the probability that children suffer with gross motor coordination problems varies with physical fitness. Children with gross motor coordination problems were more likely to have lower flexibility and explosive strength levels, having adjusted for age, sex, maturation and study site. Older children were more likely to suffer from gross motor coordination problems, as were those with greater body mass index. However, more mature children were less likely to have gross motor coordination problems, although children who live at sea level or at high altitude were more likely to suffer from gross motor coordination problems than children living in the jungle. Our results provide evidence that children and adolescents with lower physical fitness are more likely to have gross motor coordination difficulties. The identification of youths with gross motor coordination problems and providing them with effective intervention programs is an important priority in order to overcome such developmental problems, and help to improve their general health status.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio