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- Tracking of gross motor coordination in Portuguese childrenPublication . Henrique, Rafael S.; Bustamante, Alcibíades V.; Freitas, Duarte L.; Tani, Go; Katzmarzyk, Peter T.; Maia, José A.The purpose of this study was to investigate the tracking of gross motor coordination (GMC) and to profile children at 6 years of age who consistently showed higher stability patterns in different levels of GMC. The participants were 245 children (123 boys and 122 girls) who were assessed longitudinally from 6 to 9 years of age. GMC was assessed using the Korperkoordinationtest fur Kinder (KTK) test battery. Anthropometry, physical activity, and health- and performance-related physical fitness were also measured. Cohen’s kappa (κ) was used to estimate tracking. Tracking was poor for all GMC tests (0.17 ≤ κ ≤ 0.38) and moderate for the GMC motor quotient (MQ) in both boys and girls (0.44 ≤ κ ≤ 0.45). Instability at the extremes was low in GMC tests and negligible for MQ. Children who consistently showed high GMC levels during the 4 years of follow-up were lighter, had lower body mass index and subcutaneous fat, and showed higher scores in physical fitness tests at 6 years of age than those who consistently had low GMC levels. In conclusion, GMC showed low-to-moderate tracking over time in childhood. However, children who consistently demonstrated high GMC levels over time had healthier profiles at 6 years of age.
- Skeletal muscle and physical activity in Portuguese community-dwelling older adultsPublication . Gouveia, Élvio R.; Gouveia, Bruna R.; Maia, José A.; Blimkie, Cameron J.; Freitas, Duarte L.The aims of this study were to describe age- and sex-related differences in total body skeletal muscle (TB-SM) mass and to determine the variance explained by physical activity (PA). This cross-sectional study included 401 males and 402 females, aged 60-79 years. TB-SM was determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and PA by Baecke questionnaire. Statistical analysis included t test, ANOVAs, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression analysis. TB-SM mass was higher in the youngest age group when compared with the oldest in males and females. Males had greater TB-SM values than females. PA made a significant and positive contribution to the variation in TB-SM P = 0.071 \ p — .016. Sex, height, fat mass, and PA explained 77% of the variance in TB-SM. The oldest cohorts and females had lower TB-SM than the younger cohorts and males. This study suggests that PA exerts a significant role in the explanation of TB-SM.
- Gross motor coordination and weight status of Portuguese children aged 6-14 yearsPublication . Antunes, António M.; Maia, José A.; Stasinopoulos, Mikis D.; Gouveia, Élvio R.; Thomis, Martine A.; Lefevre, Johan A.; Teixeira, Alexandra Q.; Freitas, Duarte L.Objectives: To construct age- and gender-specific percentiles for gross motor coordination (MC) tests and to explore differences in gross MC in normal-weight, overweight and obese children. Methods: Data are from the “Healthy Growth of Madeira Study,” a cross-sectional study carried out in children, aged 6–14 years. All 1,276 participants, 619 boys and 657 girls, were assessed for gross MC (K€orperkoordinations Test fur Kinder, KTK), anthropometry (height and body mass), physical activity (Baecke questionnaire) and socioeconomic € status (SES). Centile curves for gross MC were obtained for boys and girls separately using generalized additive models for location, scale and shape. Results: A significant main effect for age was found in walking backwards and moving sideways. Boys performed significantly better than girls on moving sideways. At the upper limit of the distributions, interindividual variability was higher in hopping on one leg (girls) and jumping and moving sideways (boys and girls). One-way ANCOVA, control ling for age, physical activity and SES, indicated that normal-weight children scored significantly better than their obese peers in all gross MC tests. Overweight boys and girls also scored significantly better than their obese colleagues in some MC tests. Conclusions: These centile curves can be used as reference data in Portuguese children and youth, aged 6–14 years. Being overweight or obese was a major limitation in MC tests and, therefore, of the children’s health- and performance related physical fitness.
- Functional fitness and bone mineral density in the elderlyPublication . Gouveia, Élvio R.; Maia, José A.; Beunen, Gaston P.; Blimkie, C. J. R.; Rodrigues, António L.; Freitas, Duarte L.Summary Bone quality has been associated with genetic factors and several environmental influences. This study suggests that although functional fitness should be consid ered in clinical assessments of bone health, body composi tion appears to have a higher relevance in the explanation of bone health/strength in older people. Purpose This study aims to describe the association be tween functional fitness (FF), other constitutive factors, and bone health/strength in a large community-dwelling sample of elderly active Portuguese. Methods This cross-sectional study included 401 males and 401 females aged 60–79 years old. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the total body, lumbar spine (LS), and hip region was determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). In addition, femur strength index (FSI) was deter mined. FF was assessed using the Senior Fitness Test. Demographic information and a health history were obtained by telephone interview through questionnaire. Results Aerobic endurance and body strength were pos itively related with hip BMD region in males (0.10
- Functional fitness and physical activity of portuguese community-residing older adultsPublication . Gouveia, Élvio R.; Maia, José A.; Beunen, Gaston P.; Blimkie, Cameron J.; Fena, Ercília M.; Freitas, Duarte L.The purposes of this study were to generate functional-fitness norms for Portuguese older adults, to determine age and sex differences, and to analyze the physical activity–associated variation in functional fitness. The sample was composed of 802 older adults, 401 men and 401 women, age 60–79 yr. Functional fitness was assessed using the Senior Fitness Test. Physical activity level was estimated via the Baecke questionnaire. The P50 values decreased from 60 to 64 to 75 to 79 yr of age. A significant main effect for age group was found in all functional-fitness tests. Men scored significantly better than women in the chair stand, 8-ft up-and-go, and 6-min walk. Women scored significantly better than men in chair sit-and-reach and back scratch. Active participants scored better in functional-fitness tests than their average and nonactive peers. This study showed a decline in functional fitness with age, better performance of men, and increased proficiency in active participants.
- Motor performance, body fatness and environmental factors in preschool childrenPublication . Antunes, António M; Freitas, Duarte L.; Maia, José; Hedeker, Donald; Gouveia, Élvio R; Thomis, Martine; Lefevre, Johan; Barnett, Lisa MThe first aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between motor performance and body fatness among 3- to 5-year-old children. The second aim was to assess whether this relationship works similarly for boys and girls. We also investigated whether socioeconomic status (SES) and geographical area when children are aged 3 years old predicts the motor performance of 4 and 5-yr-old children. Motor performance was assessed through the Preschool Test Battery, while body fatness was estimated through body mass index (BMI). SES and geographical area were assessed via parent proxy-report questionnaires. BMI was negatively associated with standing long jump. The association of BMI and motor performance was not statistically different for boys and girls. Children from low SES performed better than high SES peers in tennis ball throw for distance. Rural children were better performers than urban peers in standing long jump. Rural area at baseline was also predictor of standing long jump and tennis ball throw for distance at time 1 and 2. In conclusion, BMI had a negative association with standing long jump and the relationship of BMI with all motor tests was similar for boys and girls. SES and rural area were predictors of motor performance.