Luís Carlos Oliveira Lopes

Associations between gross motor coordination and academic achievement in elementary school children

We aimed to evaluate the relationship between gross motor coordination (MC) and academic achievement (AA) in a sample of Portuguese children aged 9-12 years. The study took place during the 2009/2010 school year and involved 596 urban children (281 girls) from the north of Portugal. AA was assessed using the Portuguese Language and Mathematics National Exams. Gross MC was evaluated with the Körperkoordination Test für Kinder. Cardiorespiratory fitness was predicted by a maximal multistage 20-m shuttle-run test of the Fitnessgram Test Battery. Body weight and height were measured following standard procedures. Socio-economic status was based on annual family income. Logistic Regression was used to analyze the association of gross MC with AA. 51.6% of the sample exhibited MC disorders or MC insufficiency and none of the participants showed very good MC. In both genders, children with insufficient MC or MC disorders exhibited a higher probability of having low AA, compared with those with normal or good MC (p<.05 for trend for both) after adjusting for cardiorespiratory fitness, body mass index and socio-economic status.

Associations between sedentary behavior and motor coordination in children

This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between objectively measured sedentary behavior (SB) and motor coordination (MC) in Portuguese children, accounting for physical activity (PA), accelerometer wear time, waist‐to‐height ratio, and mothers education level.

Atividade física no recreio escolar : estudo de intervenção em crianças do seis aos 12 anos

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi analisar os efeitos de uma intervencao no recreio escolar nos niveis de atividade fisica em criancas de ambos os sexos, com idades entre os seis e os 12 anos, verificando diferencas entre generos e idades. A amostra foi constituida por 158 criancas com uma idade media de 7,8 ± 1,2 anos. A atividade fisica foi avaliada por acelerometria e o peso medido de forma objetiva. Os alunos foram avaliados em dois recreios distintos: 1) sem intervencao; 2) com intervencao. Em ambos os momentos, cada aluno foi avaliado durante os 30 minutos do recreio. Os resultados indicam que a intervencao resultou num aumento significativo de todos os valores percentuais medios da atividade fisica total (>; 3 METs) em ambos os sexos e grupos etarios. Este estudo permite-nos concluir que se estas criancas se beneficiaram com a intervencao no recreio escolar, podera ser benefica a sua implementacao noutras escolas. O recreio escolar afigura-se como um espaco privilegiado de promocao de habitos de atividade fisica nas criancas, nao devendo por isso ser negligenciado.

Associações entre actividade física, habilidades e coordenação motora em crianças portuguesas

Nowadays, there is growing evidence in literature that Health benefits from regular physical activity (PA). The variance in PA among children is caused by a number of factors including their motor abilities and coordination. The aim of the study was to analyse the relation between usual PA and gross motor abilities and motor coordination in children aged 6 to 7 years. The sample comprised 21 children, aged in average 6,38±0,50 years. Physical activity was accessed by accelerometry, gross motor abilities by using the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-2) and motor coordination by using the Korperkoordination Test fur Kinder (KTK). Subjects met the international recommendations for daily PA; in motor coordination 47,6% of children met normal coordination, nobody reach good or very good coordination, the majority (52,4%) revelled disturbances or insufficiencies of coordination; in locomotion TGMD-2 76,2% of the children met percentile 50 or superior (P50), in object control TGMD-2 28,6% of the children reach P50 or superior, in total TGMD-2 38,1% of the children met P50 or superior. PA was positively correlated with TGMD-2 object control. Low performance attributed to the children in TGMD-2 and KTK tests could be an indicative of insufficient in the development of coordination and gross motor abilities; therefore we believe that this kind of intervention should be targeted at school children mainly in Physical Education classes.

Objectively measured sedentary time and academic achievement in schoolchildren

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between objectively measured total sedentary time and academic achievement (AA) in Portuguese children. The sample comprised of 213 children (51.6% girls) aged 9.46 ± 0.43 years, from the north of Portugal. Sedentary time was measured with accelerometry, and AA was assessed using the Portuguese Language and Mathematics National Exams results. Multilevel linear regression models were fitted to assess regression coefficients predicting AA. The results showed that objectively measured total sedentary time was not associated with AA, after adjusting for potential confounders.

Sensitivity and specificity of different measures of adiposity to distinguish between low/high motor coordination

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to determine the ability of different measures of adiposity to discriminate between low/high motor coordination and to evaluate the relationship between different measures of adiposity and motor coordination. METHODS This study included 596 elementary school children aged 9 to 12 years (218 females - 47.1%). Weight, height, and waist circumference were objectively measured by standardized protocols. Body fat percentage was estimated by bioelectric impedance. Body mass index and waist-to-height ratio were computed. Motor coordination was assessed by the Körperkoordination Test für Kinder. Cardiorespiratory fitness was predicted by a maximal multistage 20 m shuttle-run test of the Fitnessgram Test Battery. A questionnaire was used to assess the maternal educational level. RESULTS The receiver operating characteristic performance of body fat percentage in females and waist circumference in males presented a slightly better discriminatory accuracy than body mass index, waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio in predicting low motor coordination. After adjustments, logistic regression analyses showed that body mass index (β=2.155; 95% CI: 1.164-3.992; p=0.015 for girls; β=3.255; 95% CI: 1.740-6.088; p<0.001 for males), waist circumference (β=2.489; 95% CI: 1.242-4.988; p=0.010 for girls; β=3.296; 95% CI: 1.784-6.090; p<0.001 for males), body fat percentage (β=2.395; 95% CI: 1.234-4.646; p=0.010 for girls; β=2.603; 95% CI: 1.462-4.634; p<0.001 for males) and waist-to-height ratio (β=3.840; 95% CI: 2.025-7.283; p<0.001 for males) were positively and significantly associated with motor coordination in both sexes, with the exception of waist-to-height ratio in girls (β=1.343; 95% CI: 0.713-2.528; p=0.381). CONCLUSION Body fat percentage and waist circumference showed a slightly better discriminatory accuracy in predicting low motor coordination for females and for males, respectively.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Blood Pressure: A Longitudinal Analysis

Objectives To examine the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiovascular indices 2 years later, and to determine whether changes in cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with cardiovascular indices at a 2‐year follow‐up in adolescents. Study design The sample comprised 734 adolescents (349 girls) aged 12‐18 years followed for 3 years from the LabMed Physical Activity Study. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by the 20‐meter shuttle run test. Height, weight, waist circumference, and resting blood pressure (BP) were measured according to standard procedures. Results Regression analyses showed a significant inverse association between cardiorespiratory fitness at baseline and systolic BP (B = −0.126; P = .047) and rate pressure product (B = −29.94; P = .016), at follow‐up after adjustments for age, sex, height, pubertal stage, socioeconomic status, and waist circumference. Significant differences were found between cardiorespiratory fitness groups (fit vs unfit) at baseline and systolic BP and rate pressure product at follow‐up (P < .05 for all). Analysis of covariance showed a significant association between cardiorespiratory fitness changes and systolic BP (P = .024) and rate pressure product (P = .014), after adjustment for age, sex, height, pubertal status, socioeconomic status, and waist circumference. Conclusions Changes in cardiorespiratory fitness during adolescence were associated with cardiovascular indices over a 2‐year period. Adolescents with persistently low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness exhibited the highest levels of systolic BP and rate pressure product.

Low-grade inflammation and muscular fitness on insulin resistance in adolescents: Results from LabMed Physical Activity Study

Low muscular fitness (MF) and low‐grade inflammation has been linked to insulin resistance (IR).

Muscular fitness, Southern European Atlantic Diet and inflammation in adolescents. Azorean Physical Activity and Health Study II

Abstract High muscular fitness (MF) and high adherence to the Southern European Atlantic Diet (the SEADiet) have been associated with several positive metabolic outcomes. The purpose of the present study was two-fold: (i) to explore the independent associations between MF and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels; and (ii) to investigate the combined impact of MF and SEADiet on the CRP levels in a sample of adolescents. A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted on 463 adolescents (272 girls) aged 15–18 years, from the Portuguese Azorean Archipelago. Anthropometric indicators (stature, body mass, waist circumference (WC)) were measured by standardized protocols and pubertal stages were assessed by Tanner criteria. Blood samples were taken after an overnight fast. MF was assessed by the curl-up and push-up tests (from the Fitnessgram test battery). Adherence to the SEADiet was assessed with a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Linear regression models showed that MF was inversely associated with hs-CRP (unstandardized B = −0.127; p < .009), after adjustments for age, sex, and pubertal stage, adherence of SEADiet, total energy intake and low-energy reporter and WC. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed a significant difference between the low adherence of SEADiet with low MF group and those with a high adherence of SEADiet and high MF (p < .05) (F(5, 453) = 2.238, p = .040). Our results showed that MF is inversely associated with hs-CRP. In addition, the adolescents with Low adherence of SEADiet/Low MF group had high levels of hs-CRP compared those who with high adherence of SEADiet/high MF group.

Dietary inflammatory index and inflammatory biomarkers in adolescents from LabMed physical activity study

Background/objectivesThe dietary inflammatory index (DII) is a tool to measure the diet’s inflammatory potential and has been used with adults to predict low-grade inflammation. The present study aims to assess whether this dietary score predicts low-grade inflammation in adolescents.Subjects/methodsThe sample comprises 329 adolescents (55.9% girls), aged 12–18 years, from LabMed Physical Activity Study. DII score was calculated based on a food-frequency questionnaire and categorized into tertiles. We collected blood samples to determine the follow inflammatory biomarkers: C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), complement component 3 (C3), and 4 (C4). In addition we calculated an overall inflammatory biomarker score. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were computed from binary logistic regression models.ResultsDII score, comparing first with third tertile, was positively associated with IL-6 in crude model (OR = 1.88, 95%CI:1.09–3.24, ptrend = 0.011) and in fully adjusted (for biological and lifestyle variables) (OR = 3.38, 95%CI:1.24–9.20, ptrend = 0.023). Also, DII score was positively associated with C4, when fully adjusted (OR = 3.12, 95%CI:1.21–8.10, ptrend = 0.016). DII score was negatively associated with C3 in crude model, comparing first with second but not with third tertile, and no significant associations in fully adjusted model were observed, although a trend was found (OR = 1.71, 95%CI:0.63–4.66, ptrend = 0.044). No significant associations were observed between DII score and CRP. However, DII score was positively associated with the overall inflammatory biomarker score, when fully adjusted (OR = 5.61, 95%CI:2.00–15.78, ptrend = 0.002).ConclusionsDII score can be useful to assess the diet’s inflammatory potential and its association with low-grade inflammation in adolescents.