Browsing by Author "Cordovil, Rita"
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- Avaliação da competência motora através do lançamento e pontapé em potência: descrição do comportamento ao longo da idadePublication . Rodrigues, Luis Paulo; Camões, Miguel; Luz, Carlos J.; Lima, Ricardo; Lopes, Vitor P.; Cordovil, RitaO reconhecimento da competência motora (CM) no desenvolvimento de estilos de vida saudáveis é incontornável. Recentemente Luz, Rodrigues, Almeida e Cordovil (2015) apresentaram um modelo cujo objetivo era também o de proporcionar uma avaliação da CM utilizável ao longo de todo o período de desenvolvimento até à idade adulta.
- Caracterização da qualidade do envolvimento físico dos jardins de infância de Bragança em tempo de COVID-19Publication . Moreira, Mariana; Vasques, Catarina; Magalhães, Pedro; Cordovil, Rita; Veiga, Guida; Lopes, FredericoCaracterizar a qualidade do envolvimento físico do Jardim de Infância (JI) é compreender como é que o seu espaço físico envolve a criança e apoia o seu desenvolvimento (Moreira et al., 2020). Bons indicadores de qualidade de envolvimento físico do JI influenciam positivamente o desenvolvimento infantil (Berti et al., 2019). Com a pandemia COVID-19 e mediante as medidas de contingência determinadas pela Direção Geral de Saúde, os JI foram obrigados a reorganizar o seu espaço físico. Este estudo pretendeu caracterizar a qualidade do envolvimento físico de 9 JI de Bragança (5 públicos, 4 privados) em janeiro de 2021, integrados no programa PéAtivo. Cada JI, após o consentimento da sua Direção, foi visitado e caracterizado por um investigador. Este aplicou a Escala de Avaliação dos Envolvimentos Físicos das Crianças (Moreira et al. 2020) que classifica a qualidade do envolvimento físico entre má (0,00-1,00), razoável (1,01-2,00), boa (2,01-3,00) e excelente (3,01-4,00). Todos os JI apresentaram uma qualidade razoável (M=1,53; min.=1,53; max.=1,98; DP=0,26), sem diferenças significativas entre públicos e privados (U=0,400; p=0,175). As subescalas Localização e Terreno (M=2,53; DP=0,63) e Dimensão do Estabelecimento e Módulos (M=2,61; DP=1,40) registaram pontuações superiores, reveladoras de uma localização adequada do JI e de uma boa proporção entre a área disponível para atividade e o número de crianças acolhidas. Os valores mais baixos registados nas subescalas Espaço em plano aberto modificável (M=0,45; DP=0,18); Áreas para atividades desarrumadas e sujas (M=0,72; DP= 0,27) e Espaço exterior: Necessidades de desenvolvimento (M=0,94; DP=0,89), evidenciaram a baixa ligação entre interior e exterior, pouca definição entre áreas de atividade, pouca disponibilidade de materiais naturais no interior e pouca variedade de áreas para brincar no exterior. Assim, apesar das restrições impostas devido à pandemia terem afetado a normal distribuição de espaços e equipamentos, estes JI adaptaram-se adequadamente, evidenciando indicadores razoáveis às necessidades de desenvolvimento das crianças. Contudo, os aspetos do envolvimento físico que foram identificados como mais frágeis, deverão ser reformulados em parceria com as crianças, pais, diretores e autarquia. Dessa forma, poderão contribuir para melhorar a qualidade do envolvimento físico e garantir oportunidades para um brincar desafiante, promotor do bem-estar e desenvolvimento saudável da criança.
- Estimation of the Best Method for the Calculation of the Subscales and Total Scores of the Motor Competence Assessment (MCA)Publication . Rodrigues, Luis Paulo; Cordovil, Rita; Luz, Carlos J.; Lopes, Vitor P.; Pombo, AndréThe MCA (Motor Competence Assessment) is an instrument to assess motor competence (MC). along the lifespan. For the first time, we can assess MC from childhood to old age using the same instrument, without an age ceiling effect and of feasible and objective execution. After establishing the MCA construct validity, the six tests’ normative values from childhood to young adulthood were published, and recently, the invariance of the MCA across age groups was assessed. The aim of this study is now to find the best method for the calculation of the subscales and total MCA scores. One thousand participants representing four age group subsamples (3-to-6, 7-to-10, 11-to-16, and 17-to-22 years) with 250 participants each, were assessed on the MCA, and their results on the sub-scales were calculated according to three different methods: (1) a general factor score index, where each item’s weight is derived from its factor loading of the MCA model; (2) an age-group factor score index, where each item’s weight is derived from its factor loading of the respective age-group MCA model; and (3) an equal score index with a non-weighed participation of each test for the subscale calculation. Each subscale was calculated using the three tested methods, and the results compared using bivariate correlations and intraclass correlations for the all sample and for each agegroup sub-sample. Results showed a very high agreement between the three methods tested with intraclass correlations and bivariate correlations values higher than 0.99. These results allow to conclude for the use of the simpler method for calculating the MCA subscales, there is to use equal weights for each test. In conclusion we suggest that, after being transformed into age and sex normative values (percentiles), an average of the two tests of each MCA subscale can be used to adequately represent the individual motor competence on that category (locomotor, stability, or manipulative), and a total MCA score can be found by the average of all six tests
- Improving Motor Competence of Children: The Super Quinas Intervention Program in Portuguese Primary SchoolsPublication . Rodrigues, Luis P.; Cordovil, Rita; Costa, Júlio A.; Seabra, André; Guilherme, José; Vale, Susana; Luz, Carlos; Flôres, Fábio; Lagoa, Maria João; Almeida, Gabriela; Lopes, Vitor P.; Mercê, Cristiana; Esteves, Pedro Tiago; Santos, Sara; Correia, Vanda; Serrano, João; Mendes, Rui; Matos, Rui; Loureiro, Vânia; Neto, CarlosThe objective of this study was to describe the effects of an extra hour of a structured motor program on the motor competence (MC) of children 6–10 years old. The need for movement interventions to enhance MC among school-aged children has gained vital importance in the last years, given the negative secular trends reported. Hence, the Portuguese Football Federation organized an intervention program on MC to be implemented on the extracurricular time of the Portuguese primary schools: the Super Quinas program. Thirty-nine schools from all of Portugal were assigned to intervention and control condition, with a total of 1034 children (6–10 y old) completing all the program (77.7%). The Super Quinas intervention comprised of 1 hour of activity per week, led by a physical educator teacher during extracurricular activities for 12 wees. MC was assessed using the Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) before and at the end of the program (January and April 2023). Normative results of the MCA were used to compare changes between pre and posttest according to experimental or control condition. Results showed a general improvement for all subscales (Locomotor, Manipulative, Stability) and total MCA. More importantly, the experimental group showed significant and positive differences, when compared with the control group, in the Stability Manipulative and total MCA results after controlling for gender, age, and baseline effect. Conclusions: The Super Quinas intervention program proved that adding 1 hour of structured movement program to the regular primary school schedule can lead to greater development of MC in school-age children.
- Model invariance of the Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) from early childhood to young adulthoodPublication . Rodrigues, Luis Paulo; Cordovil, Rita; Luz, Carlos J.; Lopes, Vitor P.The Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) is an innovative instrument to assess motor competence along the lifespan. The MCA model and normative values were recently established from the age of 3-to-23 years old. The purpose of this study was to validate MCA from early childhood to young adulthood. One thousand participants representing four age groups (3–6, 7–10, 11–16, 17–22 years) with 250 participants each, were assessed. Invariance of the MCA model along the age groups–configural, metric and structural–was tested using multigroup CFA. The MCA model showed to fit well all age groups. The multigroup unconstrained model showed a very good fit (NFI=0.99; TLI=0.99; CFI=0.99; RMSEA=0.03). A formal test for the invariance of loading coefficients returned a non-satisfactory goodness-of-fit adjustment and a significant difference with the unconstrained model (Δχ2 = 539.57; Δdf = 18; p= .00). The structural invariance testing did not show formal invariance between factor correlations (Δχ2 = 73.04; Δdf = 9; p= .00) but the fit of the model was acceptable (above 0.96 and a RMSEA of 0.05), indicating that correlation values inter factors are stable. This study adds information for the validation of the MCA as a useful instrument for assessing motor competence throughout the life cycle.
- Motor competence assessment (MCA) scoring methodPublication . Rodrigues, Luis Paulo; Luz, Carlos J.; Cordovil, Rita; Pombo, André; Lopes, Vitor P.The Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) is a quantitative test battery that assesses motor competence across the whole lifespan. It is composed of three sub-scales: locomotor, stability, and manipulative, each of them assessed by two different objectively measured tests. The MCA construct validity for children and adolescents, having normative values from 3 to 23 years of age, and the configural invariance between age groups, were recently established. The aim of this study is to expand the MCA’s development and validation by defining the best and leanest method to score and classify MCA sub-scales and total score. One thousand participants from 3 to 22 years of age, randomly selected from the Portuguese database on MC, participated in the study. Three different procedures to calculate the sub-scales and total MCA values were tested according to alternative models. Results were compared to the reference method, and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient, Cronbach’s Alpha, and Bland–Altman statistics were used to describe agreement between the three methods. The analysis showed no substantial differences between the three methods. Reliability values were perfect (0.999 to 1.000) for all models, implying that all the methods were able to classify everyone in the same way. We recommend implementing the most economic and efficient algorithm, i.e., the configural model algorithm, averaging the percentile scores of the two tests to assess each MCA sub-scale and total scores
- Potential relevance of a motor skill “proficiency barrier” on health-related fitness in youthPublication . Abrams, T. Cade; Terlizzi, Bryan M.; Meester, An de; Sacko, Ryan S.; Irwin, J. Megan; Luz, Carlos J.; Rodrigues, Luis Paulo; Cordovil, Rita; Lopes, Vitor P.; Schneider, Kirsten; Stodden, David F.This study investigated the potential impact of a motor skill proficiency barrier on measures of cardiorespiratory (CRF) and musculoskeletal (MSF) fitness in youth. A sample of 241 youth (114 girls) aged 10 - 18 years, completed the Motor Competence Assessment battery with composite scores indexed according to age- and gender-adjusted percentile scores. Motor competence (MC) levels were categorized as low (≤ 25%tile – proficiency barrier), moderate (≥ 26%tile to < 75%tile), and high (≥ 75%tile). CRF levels (Health Risk, Needs Improvement, and Healthy) were assessed using the Fitnessgram® 20m PACER test. Low (≤ 20%tile), moderate (≥ 21%tile to ≤ 80%tile), and high (≥ 80%tile) MSF levels were assessed using grip strength normative data. Two 3 × 3 chi-square tests were conducted to determine the probability of MC level predicting CRF and MSF levels. Results demonstrated statistically significant models for performance on both the PACER (χ2[4, N = 241] = 22.65, p < .001) and grip strength (χ2[4, N = 241] = 23.95, p < .001). Strong evidence of a proficiency barrier impacting CRF was noted, as no low skilled youth met the “Healthy” fitness zone standards for PACER performance. Evidence supporting a barrier with grip strength was not as strong, as 20.8% of youth exhibiting low MC displayed high grip strength. However, all individuals with high levels of MC demonstrated at least moderate grip strength. Results emphasize the importance of developing MC during childhood as it may provide a protective effect against unhealthy CRF and MSF across youth.
- Profiles of motor competence and its perception accuracy among children: association with physical fitness and body fatPublication . Almeida, Gabriela M.; Luz, Carlos J.; Rodrigues, Luis Paulo; Lopes, Vitor P.; Cordovil, RitaThe main goals of this study were to identify profiles in school-aged children based on actual Motor Competence (MC) and accuracy of Perceived Motor Competence (PMC) and to examine how children with different profiles differ in terms of Physical Fitness (PF) and Body Fat percentage (BF%). The MC of a total of 287 children (51.6% boys, aged between 6 and 10 years-old) was assessed using the Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) instrument, and the accuracy of the PMC was measured using motor tasks (standing long jump, throwing, kicking, and walking backwards). PF and BF% were assessed using the 20m shuttle run test and TANITA, respectively. Cluster (C) analysis revealed four profiles, two of which were aligned – high MC-accurate PMC (C4) and low-inaccurate (C2), and two that were non-aligned – high-inaccurate (C1) and low-accurate (C3). Children in C4 performed better on PF and had less BF% than children in C3 and C2.
- Relationship between motor competence, weight status, and cardiorespiratory fitness from 7 to 16 years of agePublication . Rodrigues, Luis Paulo; Cordovil, Rita; Luz, Carlos J.; Silva, Bruno; Lopes, Vitor P.Strong evidence has been found for a negative relationship between motor competence (MC) and weight status (WS), and a positive one between MC and health related fitness (HRF).
- Siblings’ influence on the motor competence of preschoolersPublication . Rodrigues, Luis Paulo; Luz, Carlos J.; Cordovil, Rita; Mendes, Rui; Alexandre, Rita; Lopes, Vitor P.The number of single-child families has been rising steadily in recent years, resulting in a childhood absent of sibling relationships. Being an only child has been shown to have a negative impact on physical fitness, somatic fitness, and motor development. In this study, we aimed to understand how living with and without siblings can impact the motor competence of children. One hundred and sixty-one children (87 boys, 74 girls) from 3.0 to 6.0 years of age (34 only children, 125 siblings) and with no known motor or cognitive disability were assessed using the Motor Competence Assessment (MCA). Their standardized results on the three MCA subscales (stability, locomotor, and manipulative) and total MCA were used to group them into high, average, and low motor competence groups. Motor competence percentile distribution of the sibling and only child group condition was compared using chi-square tests. Results showed a significative and positive association between the sibling condition and the distribution between the three MC groups (chi-square = 6.29; p = 0.043), showing that children in a household with siblings, independent of their age and sex, show a clear tendency for developing better motor competence.