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Relationship of aerobic fitness and motor skills with memory and attention in preschoolers (Ballabeina) : a cross-sectional and longitudinal study

Niederer, I. and Kriemler, S. and Gut, J. and Hartmann, T. and Schindler, C. and Barral, J. and Puder, J. J.. (2011) Relationship of aerobic fitness and motor skills with memory and attention in preschoolers (Ballabeina) : a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. BMC pediatrics, Vol. 11 , 34.

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Official URL: http://edoc.unibas.ch/dok/A6002325

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Abstract

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The debate about a possible relationship between aerobic fitness and motor skills with cognitive development in children has recently re-emerged, because of the decrease in children's aerobic fitness and the concomitant pressure of schools to enhance cognitive performance. As the literature in young children is scarce, we examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationship of aerobic fitness and motor skills with spatial working memory and attention in preschool children. METHODS: Data from 245 ethnically diverse preschool children (mean age: 5.2 (0.6) years, girls: 49.4%) analyzed at baseline and 9 months later. Assessments included aerobic fitness (20 m shuttle run) and motor skills with agility (obstacle course) and dynamic balance (balance beam). Cognitive parameters included spatial working memory (IDS) and attention (KHV-VK). All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, BMI, migration status, parental education, native language and linguistic region. Longitudinal analyses were additionally adjusted for the respective baseline value. RESULTS: In the cross-sectional analysis, aerobic fitness was associated with better attention (r = 0.16, p = 0.03). A shorter time in the agility test was independently associated with a better performance both in working memory (r = -0.17, p = 0.01) and in attention (r = -0.20, p = 0.01). In the longitudinal analyses, baseline aerobic fitness was independently related to improvements in attention (r = 0.16, p = 0.03), while baseline dynamic balance was associated with improvements in working memory (r = 0.15, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: In young children, higher baseline aerobic fitness and motor skills were related to a better spatial working memory and/or attention at baseline, and to some extent also to their future improvements over the following 9 months. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov NCT00674544
Faculties and Departments:09 Associated Institutions > Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) > Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (EPH) > Biostatistics > Biostatistics Frequentist Modelling (Kwiatkowski)
09 Associated Institutions > Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) > Former Units within Swiss TPH > Physical Activity and Health (Kriemler)
03 Faculty of Medicine > Bereich Medizinische Fächer (Klinik) > Endokrinologie / Diabetologie
03 Faculty of Medicine > Departement Klinische Forschung > Bereich Medizinische Fächer (Klinik) > Endokrinologie / Diabetologie
03 Faculty of Medicine > Departement Sport, Bewegung und Gesundheit
03 Faculty of Medicine > Departement Public Health > Sozial- und Präventivmedizin
UniBasel Contributors:Schindler, Christian and Niederer, Iris and Kriemler, Susi and Hartmann, Tim and Puder, Jardena and Gut, Janine
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
Publisher:BioMed Central
ISSN:1471-2431
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
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Last Modified:26 Apr 2013 07:01
Deposited On:08 Nov 2012 16:12

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