Life Sciences Commons^™

Gender And Motor Competence Affects Perceived Likelihood And Importance Of Physical Activity Outcomes Among 14 Year Olds, Beth Hands, Helen Parker, Elizabeth Rose, Dawn Larkin

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Little is understood about the impact of level of motor competence on self-perceptions in adolescence, in particular how this may differentially affect girls and boys. A sample of 1,568 14-year-old participants (766 girls and 802 boys) were grouped into four motor competence levels (very low to high) based on the McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (MAND). Self-perceptions were assessed using the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents. Boys had higher self-perceptions of global self-worth, athletic competence, and physical appearance, whereas girls had higher scores for close friendships and behavioral conduct. Main effects in the predicted direction were found for motor competence for …

The Psychometric Properties Of The Mccarron Assessment Of Neuromuscular Development As A Longitudinal Measure With Australian Youth, Beth P. Hands, Dawne Larkin, Elizabeth Rose

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

The importance of considering age and sex differences in the assessment of motor performance has been largely overlooked. This study examines the psychometric properties of the US developed McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (MAND) using data from a longitudinal sample of 986 Australian youth at 10, 14 and 17 years. A key finding was the sex and age interaction of the Neuromuscular Developmental Index (NDI) (F = 121.46, p < .001). Males had a significantly lower mean NDI score at 10 years and the females had a lower score at 17 years. The factor structure differed from the US samples (McCarron, 1997) at each age and between males and females. The sex specific analyses showed that the underlying structure was more complex for younger females. Although the MAND remains a …

Associations Between Anxious-Depressed Symptoms And Cardiovascular Risk Factors In A Longitudinal Childhood Study, Sandra Louise, Nicole Warrington, Pamela Mccuskie, Wendy Oddy, Stephen Zubrick, Beth P. Hands, Trevor Mori, Laurent Briollais, Sven Silburn, Lyle Palmer, Eugene Mattes, Lawrence Beilin

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Objective.To examine the influence of anxious/depressed scores on cardiovascular risk factors throughout childhood.

Methods. Data from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study, a study of 2900 pregnancies recruited between 1989 and 1991, were used. Anxious-depressed scores (derived from the Childhood Behavior Checklist), body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure were measured at 5 (n=1681), 8 (n=1697), 10 (n=1575) and 14 (n=1386) years. At age 14 depressive symptom scores (Beck Depression Inventory for Youth), anxious-depressed scores (Youth Self-Report (YSR) and Teacher Report Form (TRF)) and fasting lipid, glucose and insulin were also available. Cross sectional and longitudinal analyses were conducted. …

Lifestyle And Demographic Correlates Of Poor Mental Health In Early Adolescence, Monique Robinson, Garth Kendall, Peter Jacoby, Beth P. Hands, Lawrence Beilin, Sven Silburn, Steve Zubrick, Wendy Oddy

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Aim: To determine the constellation of lifestyle and demographic factors that are associated with poor mental health in an adolescent population.

Methods: The Raine Study 14-year follow-up involved primary care givers and their adolescent children (n = 1860). The Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) was used to assess adolescent mental health. We examined diet, socio-demographic data, family functioning, physical activity, screen use and risk-taking behaviours with mental health outcomes using linear regression.

Results: Adolescents with higher intakes of meat and meat alternatives and ‘extras’ foods had poorer mental health status. Adverse socioeconomic conditions, higher hours of screen use and ever partaking …

Body Mass Index, Adiposity Rebound And Early Feeding In A Longitudinal Cohort (Raine Study), Paola Chivers, Beth P. Hands, Helen Parker, Max K. Bulsara, Lawrence Beilin, Garth Kendall, Wendy Oddy

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: This study examined the influence of type and duration of infant feeding on adiposity rebound and the tracking of body mass index (BMI) from birth to 14 years.

Methods: A sample of 1330 individuals over eight follows-ups was drawn from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. Trajectories of BMI from birth to adolescence using linear mixed model (LMM) analysis investigated the influence of age breastfeeding stopped and age other milk introduced (binomial 4-month cut-point). A sub-sample of LMM predicted BMI was used to determine BMI and age at nadir for early infant feeding groups.

Results: Chi square analysis …

Intra-Individual Variation In Children's Physical Activity Patterns: Implications For Measurement, Kate Ridley, Tim Olds, Beth P. Hands, Dawne Larkin, Helen Parker

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Children's physical activity (PA) patterns change form day to day. This intra-individual variability affects precision when measuring key physical activity and sedentary behavior variables. This paper discusses strategies to reduce the random error associated with intra-individual variability and demonstrates the implications for assessing PA when varying number of days are sampled. Self-reported data collected on two hundred and ninety eight 13- to 14-year-olds were used to compare estimates of PA and sedentary behaviour derived from between 1 and 7 days of recall data. Large intra-individual coefficients of variation were calculated for physical activity level (14.5%), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (83.4%), screen …

Fitness, Motor Competence And Body Composition As Correlates Of Adolescent Neck/Shoulder Pain: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study, Mark Perry, Leon Straker, Peter O'Sullivan, Anne Smith, Beth P. Hands

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Adolescent neck/shoulder pain (NSP) is a common and sometimes debilitating problem. Several risk factors for this condition have been investigated, but no studies have previously evaluated associations between fitness, motor competence, body composition and adolescent NSP.

Methods: 1608 males and females of mean age 14 years answered questions on their history of NSP (4 measures), and were tested for aerobic fitness, upper and lower limb power, trunk endurance, grip strength, shoulder flexibility, motor competence and anthropometric factors. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to test for associations between NSP and physical variables.

Results: There were significant gender differences …