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.

Background: Depression and anxiety are the leading mental health problems worldwide; depression is ranked as the leading cause of global disability with anxiety disorders ranked sixth. Preventive strategies based on the identification of modifiable factors merit exploration. The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations of handgrip strength (HGS) with incident depression and anxiety and to explore how these associations differ by socio‐demographic, lifestyle, and health‐related factors.Methods: The analytic sample comprised 162 167 participants (55% women), aged 38–70 years, from the UK Biobank prospective cohort study. HGS was assessed at baseline using dynamometry. Depression and anxiety were extracted from primary care and hospital admission records. Cox proportional models were applied, with a 2 year landmark analysis, to investigate the associations between HGS and incident depression and anxiety.Results: Of the 162 167 participants included, 5462 (3.4%) developed depression and 6614 (4.1%) anxiety, over a median follow‐up period of 10.0 years (inter‐quartile range: 9.3–10.8) for depression and 9.9 (inter‐quartile range: 9.0–10.8) for anxiety. In the fully adjusted model, a 5 kg lower HGS was associated with a 7% (HR: 1.07 [95% CI: 1.05, 1.10]; P < 0.001) and 8% (HR: 1.08 [95% CI: 1.06, 1.10]; P < 0.001) higher risk of depression and anxiety, respectively. Compared with participants in the sex and age‐specific highest tertiles of HGS, those in the medium and lowest tertiles had an 11% (HR: 1.11 [95% CI: 1.04, 1.19]; P = 0.002) and 24% (HR: 1.24 [95% CI: 1.16, 1.33]; P < 0.001) higher risk of depression and 13% (HR: 1.13 [95% CI: 1.06, 1.20]; P < 0.001) and 27% (HR: 1.27 [95% CI: 1.19, 1.35]; P < 0.001) higher risk of anxiety, respectively. The association of HGS with depression was stronger among participants with average or brisk walking pace (vs. slow walking pace; P_interaction < 0.001). The association with anxiety was stronger in those participants aged ≥58 years (vs. ≤58 years; P_interaction = 0.002) and those living in more affluent areas (vs. deprived; P_interaction = 0.001).Conclusions: Handgrip strength was inversely associated with incident depression and anxiety. Because HGS is a simple, non‐invasive, and inexpensive measure, it could be easily used in clinical practice to stratify patients and identify those at elevated risk of mental health problems. However, future research should assess if resistance training aimed at increasing HGS can prevent the occurrence of mental health conditions.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the associations of grip strength with incidence and mortality from dementia and whether these associations differ by sociodemographic and lifestyle factors.Methods: A total of 466 788 participants of the UK Biobank (median age 56.5 years, 54.5% women). The outcome was all‐cause dementia incidence and mortality and the exposure was grip strength. Grip strength was assessed using a Jamar J00105 hydraulic hand dynamometer.Results: Excluding the first 2 years of follow‐up (landmark analysis), mean follow‐up was 9.1 years (inter‐quartile range: 8.3; 9.7) for incidence and 9.3 (inter‐quartile range: 8.7; 10.0) for mortality. During this time, 4087 participants developed dementia, and 1309 died from it. Lower grip strength was associated with a higher risk of dementia incidence and mortality independent of major confounding factors (P < 0.001). Individuals in the lowest quintile of grip strength had 72% [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.55; 1.92] higher incident dementia risk and 87% [95% CI: 1.55; 2.26] higher risk of dementia mortality compared with those in the highest quintile. Our PAF analyses indicate that 30.1% of dementia cases and 32.3% of dementia deaths are attributable to having low grip strength. The association between grip strength and dementia outcomes did not differ by lifestyle or sociodemographic factors.Conclusions: Lower grip strength was associated with a higher risk of all‐cause dementia incidence and mortality, independently of important confounding factors.

Objectives: The aims of this study were (i) to examine the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and white matter volume and test whether those associations differ between normal-weight and overweight/obese children (ii) to analyze the association between other physical fitness components (i.e., motor and muscular) and white matter volume, and (iii) to examine whether the fitness-related associations in white matter volume were related to academic performance. Methods: Data came from two independent projects: ActiveBrains project (n = 100; 10.0 ± 1.1 years; 100% overweight/obese; Spain) and FITKids2 project (n = 242; 8.6 ± 0.5 years; 36% overweight/obese, United States). Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed in both projects, and motor and muscular fitness were assessed in the ActiveBrains project. T1-weighted images were acquired with a 3.0 T S Magnetom Tim Trio system. Academic performance was assessed by standardized tests. Results: Cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with greater white matter volume in the ActiveBrain project (P < 0.001, k = 177; inferior fronto-opercular gyrus and inferior temporal gyrus) and in the FITKids project (P < 0.001, k = 117; inferior temporal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, middle occipital gyrus and fusiform gyrus) among overweight/obese children. However, no associations were found among normal-weight children in the FITKids project. In the ActiveBrains project, motor fitness was related to greater white matter volume (P < 0.001, k = 173) in six regions, specifically, insular cortex, caudate, bilateral superior temporal gyrus and bilateral supramarginal gyrus; muscular fitness was associated with greater white matter volumes (P < 0.001, k = 191) in two regions, particularly, the bilateral caudate and bilateral cerebellum IX. The white matter volume of six of these regions were related to academic performance, but after correcting for multiple comparisons, only the insular cortex remained significantly related to math calculations skills (β = 0.258; P < 0.005). In both projects, no brain regions showed a statistically significant negative association between any physical fitness component and white matter volume. Conclusion: Cardiorespiratory fitness may positively relate to white matter volume in overweight/obese children, and in turn, academic performance. In addition, motor and muscular fitness may also influence white matter volume coupled with better academic performance. From a public health perspective, implementing exercise interventions that combine aerobic, motor and muscular training to enhance physical fitness may benefit brain development and academic success.