Browsing by Author "Vale, Susana"
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- 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.
- Total body percentage and motor coordination among Portuguese schoolchildrenPublication . Lopes, Luís; Santos, Rute; Vale, Susana; Moreira, Carla; Pereira, Beatriz; Lopes, Vitor P.Children’s motor coordination may affect their activity pattern and thereby influence their bodyfatness. The aim of the present study was to analyse the relationship between motor coordination and total body fat percentage, in a Portuguese sample of schoolchildren aged 9–12 years. Method: The sample comprised 596 urban schoolchildren (girls 46?9%), aged 9–12 years (mean 9?61 ( SD 0?55) years) from North of Portugal. Total body fat percentage was cal- culated with Tetrapolar Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, model Tanita TBF-300. Age- and sex-adjusted Z-scores computed total body fat percentage. Motor coordination levels were assessed with the Ko¨rperkoordination Test fu¨r Kinder (KTK) and children were classified according to age and sex KTK criteria (Schiling 1974). Date of birth, gender and school socio-economic status (eligible for benefit A, B or not eligible) were extracted from the school administrations records systems. School socio-economic status was used as a proxy measure of family socio-economic status. Results: In motor coordination, 22?4 % girls showed disturbance of coordination; 37?7 % insufficiencies of coordination; 39?5 % normal coordination and 0?4 % good coordination. Corresponding figures for boys were 7?3 %; 36?5 %; 54?3 % and 1?9 %, respectively. Linear regression analysis showed that Z-scores total body fat percentage (unstandardized B 5 20?258, SE 0?021, P , 0?001) were negatively associated with motor coordination, after adjustment for socio-economic status. Conclusions: Low motor coordination levels are nega- tively associated with total body fat percentage Z-scores. The early identification of children with poor motor coor- dination and/or high body fat percentage is crucial in order to implement and develop health-related behaviours. Funding: Research relating to this abstract was funded by FCT-MCTES Grant (BD/43808/2008). Reference: Schiling, F (1974) Korperkoordination Test fur Kinder, KTK. Beltz Test Gmbh, Weinheim.