A network analysis involving mental difficulties, cognition, physical fitness, 24-hour movement components, fatness, and sociodemographic factors in children.

Background: Evidence supports the beneficial linear influence of diverse lifestyle behaviors on brain health since childhood; however, multiple behaviors -and not only one-simultaneously affect such outcomes. Therefore, the aim was to explore the multivariate relationship through a network analysis among mental difficulty and cognitive function with physical fitness (PF), 24-h movement components, fatness, and sociodemographic factors in children. Methods: Cross-sectional study involved 226 children (52.2 % boys) aged between six and 11 years. Mental difficulties were evaluated through the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and cognitive function by the Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices Test. The body mass index and PF were assessed according to the procedures suggested by the Proesp-Br, while moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) using accelerometry. The socioeconomic level, sleep, and screen time were evaluated by questionnaires. A network analysis was carried out to evaluate the associations among variables and establish centrality measures. Results: Age and PF moderated the negative relationship between cognitive function and MVPA. Furthermore, the direct and inverse relationship between cognitive function and mental difficulties appears to be affected by the 24-h movement components. Finally, age, PF, and screen time are the nodes with higher values of expected influence, indicating more sensitivity to interventions for decreasing mental difficulty and improving cognitive function. Conclusion: Mental health and cognitive function were moderated by the multivariate interaction among age, PF, and the three 24-h movement components. Nonetheless, centrality measures from the network analysis suggest that PF, MVPA, and screen time are crucial nodes in order to implement future interventions.

Investigating the Construct Validity and Reliability of the Test of Motor Competence Across Iranians' Lifespan.

Motor competence (MC) has been extensively examined in children and adolescents, but has not been studied among adults nor across the lifespan. The Test of Motor Competence (TMC) assesses MC in people aged 5-85 years. Among Iranians, aged 5-85 years, we aimed to determine the construct validity and reliability of the TMC and to examine associations between TMC test items and the participants' age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). We conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the TMC's factorial structure by age group and for the whole sample. We explored associations between the TMC test items and participant age, sex, and BMI using a network analysis machine learning technique (Rstudio and qgraph). CFA supported the construct validity of a unidimensional model for motor competence for the whole sample (RMSEA = 0.003; CFI = 0.998; TLI = 0.993) and for three age groups (RMSEA <0.08; CFI and TLI >0.95). Network analyses showed fine motor skills to be the most critical centrality skills, reinforcing the importance of fine motor skills for performing and participating in many daily activities across the lifespan. We found the TMC to be a valid and reliable test to measure MC across Iranians' lifespan. We also demonstrated the advantages of using a machine learning approach via network analysis to evaluate associations between skills in a complex system.

Effects of a multicomponent intervention on cardiovascular risk factors in overweight children: a randomized clinical trial in light of complex systems.

Analyzing the effects of interventions from a theoretical and statistical perspective that allows understanding these dynamic relationships of obesity etiology can be a more efficient and innovative way of understanding the phenomenon's complexity. Thus, we aimed to analyze the pattern of cardiovascular risk factors between-participants, and the effects within-participants of a multidisciplinary intervention on cardiovascular risk factors in overweight children. This is a randomized clinical trial, and 41 participated in this study. A multicomponent intervention (physical activities, nutritional and psychological counseling) was performed for 10 weeks. Anthropometric and hemodynamics measurements, lipid and glucose profile, cardiorespiratory fitness, and left ventricular mass were evaluated. A network analysis was done. Considering patterns in the network at baseline, WC, WHR, BMI, and Fat were the main variables for cardiovascular risks. Group was the most critical variable in the within-participant network. Participating in a multicomponent intervention and decreasing body fat promoted beneficial cardiovascular factors.

TGMD-3 short version: Evidence of validity and associations with sex in Irish children.

This study examined the internal structure and evidence of validity of the Test of Gross Motor Development 3rd edition (TGMD-3) in primary school aged children. Participants (n = 1608, 47% girls, age range 5-11 years, mean age 9.2 ± 2.04) were recruited from Irish schools across twelve counties (56% rural, 44% urban). The TGMD-3 was used to measure FMS proficiency (Ulrich, 2020). A two-factor model (13 skills) was used and confirmatory indexes were calculated. The Bayesian criteria and the Composite Reliability were employed to evaluate alternative models. Relationships between the final model proposed with age, sex and BMI were calculated using a network analysis. Mplus 8.0 and Rstudio were used. A two-factor model (locomotion and object control) with adequate values (> 0.30) for the seven skills (gallop, hop, jump, two-hand strike, bounce, catch, overhand throw) presented excellent indexes. The skills with the highest indicator of strength centrality in the network were bounce and catch for both boys and girls and hop for boys and horizontal jump for girls. This study evidences the validity and reliability of the internal structure of the TGMD-3 and demonstrates that a short version of the TGMD-3, comprising seven skills is a valid measure of FMS in this population.

The combination of three movement behaviours is associated with object control skills, but not locomotor skills, in preschoolers.

The objective of this study is to analyze the association between combinations of adherence to movement behaviour recommendations and fundamental movement skills (FMS) in preschoolers. This is a cross-sectional study. Participants of the study were 212 preschool children (M = 3.97 years old; 51.4% male), who provided objectively assessed physical activity (PA) data (Actigraph wGT3X), and completed FMS assessments (TGMD-2). Sleep time and screen time were parent-reported through face-to-face interview. Associations between the combination of two or three movement behaviours and FMS were analyzed using structural equation modeling (Mplus; 8.0; p < 0.05). Positive and significant associations were found between adherence to screen + sleep recommendations and locomotor skills (ß = 0.23; p = 0.027); and between adherence to PA + screen + sleep recommendations with object control skills (ß = 0.28; p = 0.014). Negative and significant associations were found between screen + sleep with object control skills (ß = - 0.28; p = 0.007). The adherence to the 24-h movement behaviour recommendations explained locomotor and object control skills variability by 5% and 7%, respectively.Conclusion: The adherence to the combined movement behaviour recommendations may be a more important influence on FMS in preschoolers compared to any single movement behaviour in isolation. What is Known: • The association between the isolated adherence to movement behaviour (physical activity, screen time and sleep time) recommendations and fundamental movement skills (FMS) in preschoolers, and the role of the 24-h movement behaviours on FMS, has been previously reported. What is New: • This study adds important information to the current literature, when highlighting that the combined adherence to physical activity, screen time and sleep time recommendations is positively associated with object control skills (such as throwing and kicking), and the combination of screen time and sleep is positively associated with locomotor skills (such as running and hopping).

Association between Compliance with the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines and Fundamental Movement Skills in Preschoolers: A Network Perspective.

The present study aimed to analyze the compliance with the 24-h movement guidelines and its association with fundamental motor skills (FMS) in early childhood, considering sex and Body Mass Index (BMI) in a network perspective. Two hundred and twelve preschoolers (109 boys, 4.45 ± 0.78 years old) provided physical activity (PA), sleep duration, screen time, fundamental motor skills (FMS) and BMI data. Relationships between compliance with movement behaviors guidelines, FMS, sex and BMI were calculated using a network analysis. Only two percent of the entire sample complied with the overall 24-h movement behaviors recommendations; while the emerged network in the present study emphasized ball skills as the most critical centrality variable, according to age, reinforcing the importance of ball skills for the engagement and maintenance of PA in children. The present study presents a novel statistical and theoretical perspective that permits hitherto unseen insight into the associations between movement behavior, FMS and their correlates, that appropriately consider the inherent, multifaceted, complexity of these relationships.

Associations between motor proficiency in children with history of maltreatment and living in social economically vulnerability.

Maltreatment and living in poor socioeconomic conditions during childhood may implicate in deficits on motor proficiency, nevertheless, the literature on this issue is still scarce. The goal of the study was to investigate the possible associations among manual dexterity, aiming and catching tasks, and balance tasks for children who suffers maltreatment and lived in social vulnerability. Eighty-two (82) children (08-09 years old) participated in the study. Forty-one (41) belong to the (SEV-M Group) children living in social economic vulnerability and were previously maltreated (lived in foster homes as results of parental neglect and domestic violence), and 41 belong to the (SEV Group) children living in social economical vulnerability with no history of childhood maltreatment. Children were assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children -2nd Edition. Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze the data. The results suggest the existence of a variety of motor difficulties in the group of children who suffered from neglect and domestic violence. The statistics model showed a negative effect for children in at-risk environments (regression coefficient=-0.30) and only showed a significant effect (p=0.04) for balance abilities. Traumatic experiences may have a negative effect on children' balance proficiency.