Paediatrics
Conditions
Interventions
Physical fitness training in children in Grades 3 and 4 with low motor performance
Sponsors
Dane Coetzee
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: Different schools in the Potchefstroom district will be chosen to participate in the study. Children in grade 3 and 4 will be chosen to participate in the study. The inclusion criteria of the screening are: 1. Must be present on the day of pre-testing. Participants that are absent can not be tested and will not be included in the study. 2. Children will be allowed to participate regardless of race, gender, language or culture. This is to ensure that no child is discriminated against and that everyone has an equal chance to participate. 3. Children must be healthy without any disabilities (as disclosed in the questionnaires filled in by the parents). This is to comply with the DCD criteria that states the coordination problems are not caused by any disability. 4. Children without health risks as determined by the PARQ questionnaire. This will be done to ensure the safety of the children as to not place them under any undue stress if they have any existing condition. The inclusion criteria for the intervention study are: 1. Must be present during the intervention study. Children can’t participate if they are absent. A day will be set aside for children who missed a session to catch up. 2. Have low motor coordination (below 16th percentile) as well as low fitness (below 25th percentile). This is to ensure that children with motor coordination problems are included in the intervention study. 3. Children need to be healthy without disability to comply with diagnostic criteria. 4. Children of any race, gender, language and culture will be allowed to participate. This will ensure that children from all background gets and equal chance to participate.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: Participants will be excluded if: • If they are ill or injured during the pre-tests, they will be excluded from the study. This will be done to ensure the safety of the children. • Participants will be excluded if it is determined to be in their best interest for example if they are sick or show any signs of health risks. • Children who are disabled will be excluded because physical and cognitive disability does not fall in the criteria for LMC. • Any participant who is ill or absent on the day of the tests will be excluded. • They are ill or injured during the intervention to ensure that no harm comes to them. • If it is in their best interest to be excluded.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| PERF-FIT as measure of musculoskeletal fitness and questionnaire for perceived skill level. The objectives of this study are: 1 To determine the effect of a task-oriented intervention on motor skill-related fitness levels, perceived skill level and physical activity participation in grades 3 and 4 children with LMC and low fitness. 2 To determine the immediate (post-test: 1-2 weeks after intervention) and long-term intervention effect (retention: change questionnaire 10 weeks post-intervention) on health- and skill related fitness (ball skills, balance, hopping, strength, aerobic fitness, and agility) in children with LMC between grade 3 and 4. 3 To determine the effect sizes of task-oriented intervention with two dosages (9 times per week for 3 weeks vs 2 times per week for 9 weeks) in children with LMC and low fitness levels. | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| 1 Questionnaire of changes in activity level. To determine the correlation between the different field tests intended to measure comparable fitness constructs in children with LMC. 2 To determine the sensitivity of the used field tests to measure changes fitness outcomes in children with LMC . 3 To compare effect sizes of significant differences between high and low intensity groups. | — |
Countries
South Africa
Contacts
Public ContactMarisja Denysschen
Lecturer PhD student North West University Potchefstroom
Outcome results
None listed