Intervention for children with obesity and overweight and motor delays from low-income families: fostering engagement, motor development, self-perceptions, and playtime

Abstract: Obesity is increasing globally, affecting children’s health and development. This study examines the influence of a motor skill intervention on the daily routine, self-perceptions, body mass index, motor development, and engagement in physical education lessons of children with obesity and overweight with motor delays. Children were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The daily routine at home, self-perceptions, motor development, BMI, and engagement were assessed. Significant group by time interactions were found for play (p < 0.0001) and television (p < 0.0001) time, perceived social (p = 0.003) and motor (p < 0.0001) competence, global self-worth (p < 0.0001), BMI (p = 0.001), motor development (p < 0.0001), and engagement (p = 0.029). From pre-to-post intervention, children with obesity and overweight in the intervention group increased (1) playtime at home; (2) self-perceptions of social and motor competence and global worth; (4) engagement in the lessons, and improved scores, in motor skills; and (6) reduced BMI and screen time. The intervention promoted the health and improved the self-concept of children with obesity/ overweight

POSTURAL CONTROL IN CHILDREN BORN AT TERM ACCORDING TO THE ALBERTA INFANT MOTOR SCALE: COMPARISON BETWEEN SEXES

Introduction: acquisitions and changes in the motor and cognitive development of boys and girls are related not only to existing biological differences between both sexes, but also to socio-economic, cultural and family factors. Objective: to investigate the differences between sexes in the acquisition of anti-gravitational postures. Methods: the participants in this study were 638 children born at term (324 males and 314 females), from 0 to 18 months, coming from Infant Education Schools in the south of Brazil. The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) was used to evaluate motor performance. Results: most of the evaluated children showed normal motor performance for their age (69.7%), with nonlinear development and plateaus in postural acquisition from 15 months. There were not significant differences (p&gt;0.05) in motor performance between boys and girls from 0 to 18 months. Conclusion: motor development was similar between the sexes in the first months of life. However, throughout childhood, sociocultural differences and parents’ practices seem to influence differently the process of motor acquisition and development of skills, since children are exposed to experiences in conformity with sex expectations

Peabody developmental motor scales-2: the use of rasch analysis to examine the model unidimensionality, motor function, and item difficulty

The Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-Second Edition (PDMS-2) is a valid and reliable instrument used in several countries, including Brazil, to assess gross and fine motor skills and identify motor deficits and eligibility for intervention for children with and without disabilities. However, the analysis of PDMS-2 items regarding the unidimensionality of the model, order of item difficulty, and whether the items portray the children's developmental trajectories still lacks investigation. Therefore, this study aims to: (1) analyze the unidimensionality of PDMS-2, (2) verify the model's capacity to explain the variance in the motor function responses, and (3) identify the level of difficulty of the items for Brazilian children. Children (n = 637; 51% girls) newborn to 71 months (M age = 21.7, SD = 18.6) were assessed using the PDMS-2. The Rasch analysis was conducted; the indexes of infit and outfit, and the point-biserial correlations coefficient were analyzed. The model unidimensionality was investigated using percentages of variance in the Rasch model (40% of variance). Results indicated that (1) for reflexes subscale, 62.5% of the items had correlations with the factor above 0.60, and two items had unadjusted infit and outfit; (2) for stationary subscale, 83.3% of the correlations of the items with the factor were above 0.50, and one item had unadjusted infit and outfit; (3) for locomotion subscale, 80.0% of the correlation of the items with the factor were above 0.50; all items had adequate infit and outfit; (4) for object manipulation subscale, 79.9% of the correlation of the items with the factor were above 0.50, and one item had unadjusted infit and outfit; (5) for grasping subscale, 92.3% of the correlation of the items with the factor were above 0.50, and one item had unadjusted infit and outfit; and (6) for the visual-motor integration subscale, 73.6% of the correlation of the items with the factor were above 0.50, and six items had unadjusted infit and outfit. The items with unadjusted fit were removed for further analysis. No changes in reliability and separation of items and people scores were observed without the unadjusted items; therefore, all items were maintained. A unidimensional model was found, and the reliability and discriminant capability of the items were adequate, and all items should be used to assess children. The PDMS-2 is appropriate for assessing Brazilian children

The influence of a motor skill intervention on the motor performance and perceived competence of children with motor delays

Fundamentado em teorias de motivação (Ames, 1987, 1992a, b; Epstein, 1988, 1989; Nicholls, 1984) o objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a influência de uma intervenção motora, com técnica de motivação orientada para a maestria (TMOM), no desenvolvimento motor e na percepção de competência física de crianças com idades entre seis e 10 anos que demonstraram atrasos motores previamente identificados. Noventa e uma crianças com atrasos motores foram aleatoriamente distribuídas em dois grupos: intervenção (N = 41) e controle (N = 50). Os participantes do grupo de intervenção foram submetidos a 12 semanas (duas sessões semanais). Ao início e término da intervenção, todos os participantes realizaram o Test o f Gross Motor Development - TGMD organizado por Ulrich (1985). Os participantes que experienciaram a intervenção também responderam a Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance - PSPCSA (Harter &amp; Pike, 1984) no início e no término da intervenção. A influência da intervenção na percepção de competência física foi avaliada através de ANOVA com medidas repetidas. Os resultados evidenciaram que a intervenção promoveu mudanças significantes e positivas em relação à percepção de competência física de meninos e meninas com atrasos no desenvolvimento motor. A ênfase na TMOM propicia ao professor oportunidades para criar experiências motoras que suprem as necessidades de todas as crianças, indiferentes de suas experiências prévias e diferentes níveis de habilidades, promovendo a autonomia das crianças colocando-as como sujeitos de suas conquistas. Em outras palavras, permite as crianças explorarem seu próprio processo de aprendizagemSupported by motivational theories (Ames, 1987, 1992a, b, Epstein, 1988, 1989, Nicholls, 1984), the purpose of this study was to determine the influence of a motor skill intervention program, with emphasis on a mastery motivational climate, on the motor development of children (six to 10 years old) with developmental delays. Furthermore, this study also investigated changes in perception of competence by the children exposed to the intervention program. Ninety-one children with motor developmental delays were randomly distributed in two groups, intervention (N = 41) and control (N = 50). The participants in the intervention group received a 12-week (2 week meetings) motor skill intervention with a mastery motivational climate. All participants were assessed pre- and post-intervention period using the Test of Gross Motor Development TGMD (Ulrich, 1985). Children who received the intervention were also assessed through the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance PSPCSA (Harter, 1984). The intervention program results were analyzed using a two-way independent ANOVA with repeated measures for pre- and post-intervention. The perception of competence were measured through a ANOVA with repeated measures for pre- and post-intervention. Results showed that the mastery motivational climate intervention promotes significant and positive changes on motor development and perceptions of competence by children with motor developmental delays. Mastery motivational climate allowed the teacher to create motor experiences that met the needs of all children, despite their previous experience and levels of ability, * and it also promoted the children's autonomy, placing them as the subject of their achievements. In other words, it allowed them to explore their own learning proces

Gross motor skills trajectory variation between WEIRD and LMIC countries: a crosscultural study

Aim This study aimed to examine the prevalence of delays and borderline impaired performance for Brazilian girls and boys and the differences in the motor trajectories (locomotor and ball skills) of girls and boys (3- to 10-years-old) across WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, and Democratic) countries and Brazil–a low- and middle-income country (LMIC). Methods We assessed 1000 children (524 girls; 476 boys), 3- to 10.9-year-old (M = 6.9, SD = 2.1; Girls M = 6.9, SD = 2.0; Boys M = 6.9, SD = 2.1), using the Test of Gross Motor Development-3. Using systematic search, original studies investigating FMS in children using the TGMD-3 were eligible; 5 studies were eligible to have the results compared to the Brazilian sample. One sample t-test to run the secondary data from Irish, American, Finnish, and German children (i.e., mean, standard deviation). Results The prevalence of delays and borderline impaired performance was high among Brazilian girls (28.3% and 27.5%) and boys (10.6% and 22.7%). The cross-countries comparisons showed significant (p values from .048 and < .001) overall lower locomotor and ball skills scores for Brazilian children; the only exceptions were skipping, catching, and kicking. We observed stability in performance, across countries, after 8-years-old, and no ceiling effects were found in the samples. Conclusions The Brazilian sample emphasized the need for national strategies to foster children’s motor proficiency. Differences in motor opportunities may explain the differences in motor trajectories between children in WEIRD and LMIC countries

Content, Construct, and Criterion Validity, Reliability, and Objectivity for Aquatic Readiness Assessment for Brazilian Children

The Aquatic Readiness Assessment (ARA) is an assessment instrument for measuring children\u27s aquatic readiness. The objective of the study was to translate the English version into Portuguese and to investigate the content, construct, and criterion validity as well as the reliability and rater objectivity of the ARA for Brazilian children. Twenty-three professionals and 464 children, newborn to 13 years-old participated in the study. We found strong content (94% to 100% of judges’ agreement) and criterion validity, internal consistency (α from .96 to .97), and inter-rater objectivity (ICC from .81 to .98), and test-retest reliability (ICC from .94 to .98). Appropriate fit indices were observed for the model (CFI = .99; TLI = .99; RMSEA .08, CI 90% = .67 to .10); the model was invariant for boys and girls (CFI = .99; RMSEA = .080; ΔCFI = .009; Δ RMSEA = .015) but not for age groups (CFI = .87, RMSEA = .160). The ARA presented adequate validity and reliability for evaluating the swimming performance of Brazilian children

Analysis of motor development of infants from zero to 18 months of age: representativeness of the motors items of the alberta infant motor scale by age and posture

OBJECTIVE: evaluate the motor development of infants from 0 to 18 months and the representativeness of the motors items in the child assessment proposed by Alberta Infant Motor Scale. METHOD: transversal and observational study, causal comparative, where in participated 561 infants, evaluated with the AIMS, aging from 0 to 18 months, coming from Kinder gardens, Children Education schools, Health Basic Units of Rio Grande do Sul. RESULTS: The motor development of 63, 5% were considered with a normal for their age and 36,5% presented delays or delay´s risk, is that, the infants aging from 3 to 12 months were the ones with the worst development. It was found inferiority in the motor behaviors regarding the prono and standing postures and a bigger AIMS sensibility analysing motor behaviors in the first life year, considering that it is hard to notice children development from 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: observed progressive sequence of appearance of motor abilities in the evaluated postures, although some children were considered with an inferior motor development according to what was expected by their age. The scale has a inbalance, a discontinuity in intensity of difficulty´s levels, at diferents ages. It is suggested that the age-factor, postural control and evaluation instrument influenced in the motor development of the infants.OBJETIVO: avaliar o desenvolvimento motor de bebês de 0 a 18 meses de idade e a representatividade dos critérios motores na avaliação infantil propostos na Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS). MÉTODO: estudo transversal e observacional, no qual participaram 561 crianças avaliadas com a AIMS, com idade entre 0 e 18 meses, provenientes de Creches, Escolas de Educação Infantil, Unidades Básicas de Saúde e Entidades da Região Sul-Rio-Grandense. RESULTADOS: o desenvolvimento motor de 63,5% foi considerado normal para idade e 36,5% apresentaram atrasos ou suspeita de risco, sendo que os bebês com idade entre 3 e 12 meses foram os que demonstraram pior desempenho. Foi observado uma inferioridade nos comportamentos motores referentes as posturas prono e em pé e uma maior sensibilidade da AIMS na análise dos comportamentos motores no 1º ano de vida, sendo poucos os ítens para diferenciar crianças com desenvolvimento a partir de 12 meses. CONCLUSÕES: observou-se sequência progressiva do aparecimento de habilidades motoras nas posturas avaliadas, embora algumas crianças com desenvolvimento motor inferior ao esperado para idade. A escala apresenta um desequilíbrio, ou seja, uma descontinuidade na intensidade dos níveis de dificuldade, nas diferentes idades. Sugere-se que os fatores idade, controle postural e instrumento de avaliação influenciaram no desenvolvimento motor das crianças