Ingegerd Ericsson

Motor skills and school performance in children with daily physical education in school : a 9-year intervention study

The aim was to study long‐term effects on motor skills and school performance of increased physical education (PE). All pupils born 1990–1992 from one school were included in a longitudinal study over nine years. An intervention group (n = 129) achieved daily PE (5 × 45 min/week) and if needed one extra lesson of adapted motor training. The control group (n = 91) had PE two lessons/week. Motor skills were evaluated by the Motor Skills Development as Ground for Learning observation checklist and school achievements by marks in Swedish, English, Mathematics, and PE and proportion of pupils who qualified for upper secondary school. In school year 9 there were motor skills deficits in 7% of pupils in the intervention group compared to 47% in the control group (P < 0.001), 96% of the pupils in the intervention group compared to 89% in the control group (P < 0.05) qualified for upper secondary school. The sum of evaluated marks was higher among boys in the intervention group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The sum of marks was also higher in pupils with no motor skills deficit than among pupils with motor skills deficits (P < 0.01), as was the proportion of pupils who qualified for upper secondary school (97% vs 81%, P < 0.001). Daily PE and adapted motor skills training during the compulsory school years is a feasible way to improve not only motor skills but also school performance and the proportion of pupils who qualify for upper secondary school.

Reliability and validity of the assessment of neurological soft-signs in children with and without attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

Aim  To study the value and reliability of an examination of neurological soft‐signs, often used in Sweden, in the assessment of children with attention‐deficit–hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), by examining children with and without ADHD, as diagnosed by an experienced clinician using the DSM‐III‐R.

The Copenhagen Consensus Conference 2016 : children, youth, and physical activity in schools and during leisure time

From 4 to 7 April 2016, 24 researchers from 8 countries and from a variety of academic disciplines gathered in Snekkersten, Denmark, to reach evidence-based consensus about physical activity in children and youth, that is, individuals between 6 and 18 years. Physical activity is an overarching term that consists of many structured and unstructured forms within school and out-of-school-time contexts, including organised sport, physical education, outdoor recreation, motor skill development programmes, recess, and active transportation such as biking and walking. This consensus statement presents the accord on the effects of physical activity on childrens and youths fitness, health, cognitive functioning, engagement, motivation, psychological well-being and social inclusion, as well as presenting educational and physical activity implementation strategies. The consensus was obtained through an iterative process that began with presentation of the state-of-the art in each domain followed by plenary and group discussions. Ultimately, Consensus Conference participants reached agreement on the 21-item consensus statement.

To measure and improve motor skills in practice

OBJECTIVE The purpose is to validate and discuss the possibilities to use the Motorisk Utveckling som Grund för Inlärning (Motor skills Development as Basis for Learning, MUGI) observation checklist as a measurement instrument for gross motor skills and to introduce the MUGI model for motor training as an alternative to improve childrens motor skills in practice. METHODS Motor skills observations were carried out on all pupils in the first three school years at a state-funded primary school in Sweden (n = 251). Pupils in an intervention group (n = 152) had one lesson of physical activity and motor training every school day and also, when needed, an extra motor training lesson per week. The MUGI observation checklist, which includes 16 items that measure static and dynamic balance, bilateral coordination, and eye-hand coordination, was validated and tested for reliability. RESULTS After one year of intervention, the pupils in the intervention group had significantly better (p < 0.05) motor skills than pupils in the control group. Results of factor analysis, reliability tests, and evaluator agreement show that the MUGI observation checklist fulfills requirements at an acceptable level of validity and reliability. The MUGI model was found to function well in practice for improving childrens motor skills. CONCLUSIONS The MUGI observation checklist could be an alternative to current measurement instruments in studies of childrens gross motor skills, and also function as planning documentation for individual intervention programs. The MUGI model could be used to improve childrens motor skills in practice.

ADHD symptoms and maturity--a study in primary school children.

Aim: To study if age and non‐behavioural measures of biological maturity have any associations with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Effects of physical activity interventions on cognitive and academic performance in children and adolescents: a novel combination of a systematic review and recommendations from an expert panel

Objective To summarise the current evidence on the effects of physical activity (PA) interventions on cognitive and academic performance in children, and formulate research priorities and recommendations. Design Systematic review (following PRISMA guidelines) with a methodological quality assessment and an international expert panel. We based the evaluation of the consistency of the scientific evidence on the findings reported in studies rated as of high methodological quality. Data sources PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central, Web of Science, ERIC, and SPORTDiscus. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies PA-intervention studies in children with at least one cognitive or academic performance assessment. Results Eleven (19%) of 58 included intervention studies received a high-quality rating for methodological quality: four assessed effects of PA interventions on cognitive performance, six assessed effects on academic performance, and one on both. All high-quality studies contrasted the effects of additional/adapted PA activities with regular curriculum activities. For cognitive performance 10 of 21 (48%) constructs analysed showed statistically significant beneficial intervention effects of PA, while for academic performance, 15 of 25 (60%) analyses found a significant beneficial effect of PA. Across all five studies assessing PA effects on mathematics, beneficial effects were reported in six out of seven (86%) outcomes. Experts put forward 46 research questions. The most pressing research priority cluster concerned the causality of the relationship between PA and cognitive/academic performance. The remaining clusters pertained to PA characteristics, moderators and mechanisms governing the ‘PA–performance’ relationship and miscellaneous topics. Conclusion There is currently inconclusive evidence for the beneficial effects of PA interventions on cognitive and overall academic performance in children. We conclude that there is strong evidence for beneficial effects of PA on maths performance. The expert panel confirmed that more ‘high-quality’ research is warranted. By prioritising the most important research questions and formulating recommendations we aim to guide researchers in generating high-quality evidence. Our recommendations focus on adequate control groups and sample size, the use of valid and reliable measurement instruments for physical activity and cognitive performance, measurement of compliance and data analysis. PROSPERO registration number CRD42017082505.