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Possible explanations for this association are related to the role sport might play in supporting physical literacy and the development of fundamental movement skills, allowing children to participate in more active free play pursuits. It might also be the case that active children simply seek out both organized and unorganized physical activity opportunities during this developmental period. Limitations and implications for further research and policy are discussed.

Background: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are highly comorbid in children. There is evidence linking second hand smoke (SHS) exposure in utero to ADHD; however, it's relation to DCD is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of SHS exposure in utero in children with and without DCD.Methods: This study was a cross-sectional examination of 122 children from the District School Board of Niagara (72 males, 50 females, Mage = 12.9 years) who were part of a larger, prospective cohort study. Participants were assessed for motor proficiency and intelligence and were screened for symptoms of ADHD using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Short Form, the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Inventory, 2nd edition, and the Conners' Parent Rating Scales-Revised: Short Form, respectively. Parent questionnaires were used to determine SHS exposure in utero as either yes or no. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between SHS exposure and DCD risk.Results: Children exposed to SHS in utero were significantly more likely to be at high risk for DCD than children who were not (OR = 3.33, p = 0.004), and children exposed to SHS in utero were more likely to be at moderate risk for DCD in the presence (OR = 3.57, p = 0.025) or absence of ADHD (OR = 2.38, p = 0.042). However, statistical adjustment for birth weight, socioeconomic status, age, and sex reduced this effect to non-significance in the moderate risk group.Conclusion: Results suggest exposure to SHS during pregnancy increases the chances of a child developing high risk DCD. While SHS exposure may increase DCD risk with and without ADHD, this effect may be explained by covariates and confounding factors. Further study is needed to examine the mechanisms linking SHS exposure in utero to motor coordination problems in children.

PurposePhysical activity (PA) has been shown to enhance executive functions (EFs) in children, and PA involving a cognitive component may confer additional benefit. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether cognitively engaging PA impacts EF, and whether affect and fitness act as either mediators or moderators of this relationship.MethodsA randomized controlled trial was utilized to assess changes in EFs between a 20-min Dual Task (intervention condition), a PA Task (control condition), and a Cognitive Task (control condition). Children were scheduled for two visits in the INfant and Child Health (INCH) Lab at the University of Toronto. Physical fitness was assessed using the 20 m shuttle run, standing long jump, and grip strength tests. EFs were assessed using the Stroop Task, Trail Making Task (TMT), and Forward Working Memory Task (FWMT).Results38 children (Mage = 11.95 years, SD = 0.49, 61% female) participated. Repeated measures ANOVA showed main interactions between time on inhibition scores (p < 0.05, ηp2 = 0.489), and positive affect scores (p < 0.01, ηp2 = 0.284). Interaction effects between condition and time were not significant (p = 0.787, ηp2 = 0.014, p = .333, ηp2 = 0.061, p = 0.799, ηp2 = 0.013 for inhibition, switching, and passive working memory, respectively). Results showed no significant mediation effect of affect (95% CI = –0.5915, 2.147), or moderating effect between fitness and EF changes.ConclusionPossible explanations for these findings include inadequate cognitive engagement, lack of EF transfer, and statistical power. Results suggest any of these interventions may be beneficial for improving inhibition and positive affect in children.

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