Background. Motor activities, physical education and sport promote children’s wellbeing; sedentary behavior may cause chronic diseases. Too many youngsters do not follow the recommendations on conducting a daily physical activity and this affects the motor development and its related factors. School is the main place where to perform programs to prevent overweight, increase levels of physical activity through targeted strategies, and support the acquisition of an active lifestyle thanks to physical activity. Objective. The following study shows the relationship between physical activity and motor development on a sample of boys and girls divided into two groups (Male, normal-weight, age: 12,14± 0,88; overweight-obese, age: 11,95± 0,77; Female, normal-weight, age: 12,15± 0,97; overweight-obese, age: 12,20± 0,90) and attending a lower secondary school in the Apulian Region (Southern Italy) thanks to a collection of territorial data. Methods. A random sample of 229 Italian school children was selected and divided into a “normal-weight” and “overweight-obese” group based on body mass index and gender differences; physical fitness was assessed by four fitness tests. Physical activity was estimated by of the Paq-C - Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results. It is highlighted that overweight and obese boys and girls present lower motor performance in each test except for the 2 kg ball throw test and the lower levels of physical activity. Monitoring systematically the levels of physical activity in the developmental age is then required to gather correct information on motor development and its related factors. The regional observatory aims at carrying out a systematic monitoring of motor development and physical activity levels in young people by investigating the evolution of motor development, planning adequate teaching programs and informing teachers, the family and institutions
Motor performance and physical activity levels in adolescence. The regional Observatory for the monitoring of motor development in developmental age
Dario Colella
Writing – Review & Editing
2018-01-01
Abstract
Background. Motor activities, physical education and sport promote children’s wellbeing; sedentary behavior may cause chronic diseases. Too many youngsters do not follow the recommendations on conducting a daily physical activity and this affects the motor development and its related factors. School is the main place where to perform programs to prevent overweight, increase levels of physical activity through targeted strategies, and support the acquisition of an active lifestyle thanks to physical activity. Objective. The following study shows the relationship between physical activity and motor development on a sample of boys and girls divided into two groups (Male, normal-weight, age: 12,14± 0,88; overweight-obese, age: 11,95± 0,77; Female, normal-weight, age: 12,15± 0,97; overweight-obese, age: 12,20± 0,90) and attending a lower secondary school in the Apulian Region (Southern Italy) thanks to a collection of territorial data. Methods. A random sample of 229 Italian school children was selected and divided into a “normal-weight” and “overweight-obese” group based on body mass index and gender differences; physical fitness was assessed by four fitness tests. Physical activity was estimated by of the Paq-C - Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results. It is highlighted that overweight and obese boys and girls present lower motor performance in each test except for the 2 kg ball throw test and the lower levels of physical activity. Monitoring systematically the levels of physical activity in the developmental age is then required to gather correct information on motor development and its related factors. The regional observatory aims at carrying out a systematic monitoring of motor development and physical activity levels in young people by investigating the evolution of motor development, planning adequate teaching programs and informing teachers, the family and institutionsI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
