Variations in aim and catch values in 11-and 12-year-old children in northern Spain during SARS-CoV-2 loc-kdown

Some habits related to diet, PA practice and screen time were modified as a consequence of the appea-rance of SARS-CoV-2 in Spain, especially in the infant--jupanielvenile population. These changes resulted in lower levels of physical activity and increased time spent in sedentary activities during lockdown, which lasted 4 months between March and June 2020. The aim of this study was to determine the impact on the aiming and catching of 11-12 year old school children during this lockdown. Methods: The study involved 50 children aged 11-12 years (M = 11.40, SD = 0.50), 33 (66%) boys and 17 (34%) girls from northern Spain. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2 (Movement ABC-2) was used for data collection as well as an ad hoc socio-demographic questionnaire. Results: There were significant differences (p < 0.05) in the results for the aiming and catching variables measured by the tests established by the MABC-2 in the total sample as well as by gender. There were also significant differences in the boys and girls of the sample in mean, scalar and percentile scores for aiming and catching between pre-lockdown and post-lockdown, with a more pronounced worsening of the measured values in girls than in boys. Conclusions: The study showed a significant worsening of aiming and catching values in boys and girls aged 11-12 years during SARS-CoV-2 lockdown. © 2023, LIECREH GUTH. All rights reserved.

Sleep, physical activity and screens in 0-4 years Spanish children during the COVID-19 pandemic: Were the WHO recommendations met?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned in recent years about child physical inactivity. The pandemic caused by COVID-19 meant in many countries the establishment of a period of confinement with the deprivation of movement of children. The aim of this paper is to analyse whether, during the period of confinement, the WHO recommendations regarding sleep, physical activity and the use of technological devices in children under 5 years of age resident in Spain were met. The sample was composed of 280 Spanish children. The results confirm high values in the use of screens, especially television (M = 65.33), followed by tablets (M = 17.10) and mobile phones (M = 8.34). Physical activity levels were detected to be lower than recommended, with an average of 31.81 minutes versus the recommended 180 minutes. As for sleep hours, the recommendations were minimally fulfilled (M = 10.73;SD = 1.72). It is concluded that the period of confinement may have been an obstacle to complying with WHO recommendations regarding the practice of physical activity and screens in children under 5 years of age, which may have further aggravated the health of children in relation to pathologies associated with sedentary life. © 2020. All rights reserved.