Executive functions (EF) play a fundamental role in the acquisition of learning, especially in mathematics. The literature seems to indicate that fitness and physical activity (PA) have an important impact on cognition, including EF. Although the relationship between these variables seems evident, few studies have investigated the mediation role…

Children with developmental disabilities lack sufficient physical activity in their daily lives. The purpose of this study was to see if children with developmental disabilities who participated in stair-climbing exercises had better physical performance and health status than children with developmental disabilities who did not. This study…

Background: Intellectually disabled individuals have been observed to lead sedentary lifestyles resulting in poor health. Physical fitness has been positively correlated to better health outcomes with small changes in fitness translating to major health changes among unfit older adults with intellectual disability. However, there is currently no…

Motor competence is important for lifelong physical activity (PA). The current study aimed to examine associations between PA and motor competence. In total, 43 children aged 7--12 years with intellectual disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder completed anthropometric measures, the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-2, and wore a…

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) engage in less physical activity than typically-developing peers. This can result in serious negative consequences for individual well-being and may contribute to the physical, behavioral, and emotional challenges associated with ASD. This study explored the potential benefits of trainer-led,…

Introduction: This article reports the physical abilities and physical wellness of three groups of children with different neurodevelopmental disabilities--Autism, Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability. Methods: The causal-comparative research method was implemented in this study. The participants comprised 32 students with moderate…

This umbrella review addresses the relation between physical activity (PA) for children and youth with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and positive outcomes. A systematic literature search in Medline, PsychInfo, and ERIC revealed 338 records, and 20 review articles were included in the analysis. The review articles referred to 130…

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic imposed social isolation measures, which impacted the child population, especially regarding physical and mental health aspects. Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sedentary behavior, cardiorespiratory fitness, immunoglobulin -A secretion, and anxiety symptoms in 267 children…

Physical activity (PA) is an important facet in survivorship care. Standardized curriculum which teaches undergraduate student exercise leaders how to implement PA programs for childhood cancer survivors have not been developed. Delivery of PA programs are limited by resources, so utilizing students to lead PA sessions is a potentially…

Background: Internationally 18% of youth are obese. Fitness testing can be used to establish fitness surveillance, which can inform policy and targeted interventions aimed at addressing obesity. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and low fitness in Idaho school-aged youth through a pilot study.…