Parental TV-viewing time was associated with Portuguese children's TV-viewing time. The numbers of TVs in the household and electronic games equipment access were also associated with TV- and combined other media-viewing/usage time.

Objective: The objective of our study was to assess the association between maternal weight gain during pregnancy and childhood overweight. Design: This study was a cross-sectional analysis. Setting: The data were derived from a community-based survey of children from primary schools of Portugal. Subjects: The study was performed in a sample of 6-12-year-old Portuguese school children (2445 girls and 2400 boys; age was 8.570.91 years). Measurements: Height and weight were measured according to international standards, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The definition of overweight was based on average centiles according to the International Obesity Task Force cutoffs. Children's parents completed a self-administered questionnaire, which provided information on general family background characteristics, maternal weight gain during pregnancy and children's physical activity. The response rate was 70.6%. Children's dietary intake was measured using a 24-h dietary recall. Logistic regression models were fitted to estimate the magnitude of the association between maternal weight gain during pregnancy and overweight in their children, adjusting for confounders (gender, age, birthweight, order of birth, breastfeeding, smoking during pregnancy, physical activity, parental BMI, parental education, calcium to protein ratio and energy intake). Results: The prevalence of overweight (including obesity) was 29% in boys and 33% in girls. The odds favouring overweight (including obesity) increased significantly for those women who gained X16 kg during pregnancy, compared to those with o9 kg , even after adjustment for confounders (crude odds ratio (OR) ¼ 1.53, confidence interval (CI) 95% 1.27-1.84, P-trend o0.001; Adjusted OR ¼ 1.27, CI 95% 1.01-1.61, P-trend ¼ 0.038). Conclusion: Large maternal weight gain during pregnancy (X16 kg) was significantly associated with higher risk of overweight in Portuguese children.

Lack of physical activity is a global public health problem causing not only morbidity and premature mortality, but it is also a major economic burden worldwide. One of the cornerstones of a physically active lifestyle is Motor Competence (MC). MC is a complex biocultural attribute and therefore, its study requires a multi-sectoral, multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary approach. MC is a growing area of research, especially in children and adolescents due to its positive association with a plethora of health and developmental outcomes. Many questions, however, remain to be answered in this field of research, with regard to: (i) Health and Developmental-related Associations of MC; (ii) Assessment of MC; (iii) Prevalence and Trends of MC; (iv) Correlates and Determinants of MC; (v) MC Interventions, and (vi) Translating MC Research into Practice and Policy. This paper presents a narrative review of the literature, summarizing current knowledge, identifying key research gaps and presenting questions for future investigation on MC in children and adolescents. This is a collaborative effort from the International Motor Competence Network (IMCNetwork) a network of academics and researchers aiming to promote international collaborative research and knowledge translation in the expansive field of MC. The knowledge and deliverables generated by addressing and answering the aforementioned research questions on MC presented in this review have the potential to shape the ways in which researchers and practitioners promote MC and physical activity in children and adolescents across the world.

The results of this study suggest that the time spent playing electronic games is associated with obesity. Reducing childhood obesity calls for the reduction in sedentary behaviours, and the promotion of a more active lifestyle.

No abstract

<p>This cross-sectional study intended to determine the prevalence of body image dissatisfaction and associated factors in Portuguese adolescents (N=529, 10-18 years, 53.7% male and 46.3% female). The prevalence of body dissatisfaction (estimated through Collins's silhouettes) was 58%. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that the variables associated were: obesity, watch TV over 2 hours/day and practice sport activities 4 or more days/week. In male, obesity and watch TV over 2 hours/day were related to body dissatisfaction and among female only obesity had statistical significance. It is necessary to considered different public health interventions for men and women in order to reduce this high body image dissatisfaction.</p>

OBJECTIVE: To identify environment factors predicting sensory profile of infants between 4 and 18 months old. METHODS: This cross-sectional study evaluated 97 infants (40 females e 57 males), with a mean age of 1.05±0.32 years with the Test of Sensory Functions in Infants (TSFI) and also asked 97 parents and 11 kindergarten teachers of seven daycare centers to answer the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development-Infant Scale (AHEMD-IS). The AHEMD-IS is a questionnaire that characterizes the opportunities in the home environment for infants between 3 and 18 months of age. We tested the association between affordances and the sensory profile of infants. Significant variables were entered into a regression model to determine predictors of sensory profile. RESULTS: The majority of infants (66%) had a normal sensory profile and 34% were at risk or deficit. Affordances in the home were classified as adequate and they were good in the studied daycare centers. The results of the regression revealed that only daily hours in daycare center and daycare outside space influenced the sensory profile of infants, in particular the Ocular-Motor Control component. CONCLUSIONS: The sensory profile of infants was between normal and at risk. While the family home offered adequate affordances for motor development, the daycare centers of the infants involved demonstrated a good quantity and quality of affordances. Overall, we conclude that daily hours in the daycare center and daycare outside space were predictors of the sensory profile, particular on Ocular-Motor Control component.

Resumo: O avanço das neurociências na educação aborda aspectos da memória, da aprendizagem e da indissociável relação corpo-mente para aprendizagem do sujeito. Este estudo buscou correlacionar tais conceitos às Dificuldades de Aprendizagem (DA) específicas em cálculo (aritmética) e pressupostos da Educação Matemática. O objetivo foi investigar o impacto de um programa pedagógico, com atividades didático-manipulativas usando corpo/movimento, em um estudo longitudinal com 37 escolares com indicativos de DA em cálculo, entre 7 e 12 anos, oriundos de um colégio privado em Cuiabá, MT. Como resultado, houve um aumento no desempenho escolar da amostra, mostrando que o uso do corpo e de atividades somatossensoriais podem auxiliar alunos com DA a focarem a atenção e melhorar sua autonomia acadêmica, senso de autoeficácia e compreensão matemática. A indissociabilidade corpo-mente e a realização bem-sucedida do presente estudo confirmam a necessidade de se promoverem pesquisas em experiências e aprendizagem motoras para minimizar impactos das DA.Palavras-chave: Neurociência. Desempenho psicomotor. Aritmética. Cognição numérica. Educação matemática. Abstract:The advancement of neurosciences in education presents aspects of memory, learning and the inseparability of the body-mind relationship in the learning of students. This study sought to correlate these concepts with Learning Disabilities (LD) specifically in arithmetic and principles of Mathematics Education. The purpose was to investigate the impact of an educational program with didactic and manipulative activities using movement-body in an experimental typology study with 37 students (of a private college in Cuiabá, MT, Brazil) between 7 and 12 years old with indicative of LD in calculus. The main result was the increase of the academic results of the students, showing that the use of the body and somatosensory activities can help students with LD to focus attention and improve their academic autonomy, sense of self-efficacy and mathematical understanding. Believing in the inseparability of the body-mind relationship and in the positive outcome of this study we conclude the need to promote research in motor learning to minimize impacts of LD.