Motor skill competence of children is one of the important predictors of health because if a child is physically active during early childhood, the possibility of occurrence of many chronic diseases in adulthood will be reduced. The aim of this study was to systematically review the studies conducted in healthy children using the shorter form of the Bruininks-Oseretsky (BOT-2) and to determine the applicability in cross-sectional studies and pre-post designs. The search and analysis of the studies were done in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. An electronic databases search (Google Scholar, PubMed, Mendeley, Science Direct, and Scopus) yielded 250 relevant studies conducted from 2011 to 2020. A total of 21 studies were included in quantitative synthesis, with a total of 3893 participants, both male and female. Through this study, the BOT-2 test proved its broad applicability, so it can be concluded that this test can be used to improve motor proficiency in a healthy population of children. Hence, it is necessary to invest a lot of time during the implementation of various programs so that children would adequately develop their basic motor skills so they broaden their own repertoire of movements.

Motor coordination has a crucial role in various physical activities and sports, highlighting its significance in overall movement proficiency and performance. This study aimed to compare motor coordination in children engaged in multisport versus swimming activities. The participants of this study included 180 boys and girls (girls = 87) aged 8.25 years ± 0.89. A total of three groups were included: group 1 consisted of inactive children, group 2 included children participating in swimming, and group 3 included children enrolled in multisport. Motor coordination was assessed using the Kiphard–Schilling body coordination test, evaluated by motor quotient (MQ): walking backwards, hopping for height, jumping sideways, and moving sideways. Additionally, a total motor quotient (Total MQ) was calculated based on the performance in all four tests. ANOVA revealed a significant difference in Total MQ and all subtests between the groups (p < 0.01). A significant difference in Total MQ was found not only between the inactive and multisport groups (Diff = 19.8000; 95%CI = 13.1848 to 26.4152; p = 0.001) but also between the multisport and swimming groups (Diff = 12.8000; 95%CI = 6.3456 to 19.2544; p = 0.001). In conclusion, the results revealed that children involved in multisport activities exhibited significantly better motor coordination compared to both the swimming group and the inactive group. Therefore, to enhance the growth of motor coordination abilities, it is crucial that parents, instructors, and coaches encourage kids to engage in multisport physical activities on a daily basis.

Purpose: Given the growth in the use of wearable measuring technology, this study aimed to investigate the frequency of writing about wearable monitoring devices in the field of sports sciences and sports-related health professions during the years affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 to 2022). The goal was to observe the number of studies right before the quarantine and during the first years of pandemic. Methodology: A systematic literature analysis was performed in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoS CC) and Scopus databases in March 2023. The filters used in the search were the following: original scientific papers in the English language and open access. The research field was sports sciences in the past three years (2020–2022) in the Wos CC, and health professions and medicine in Scopus. Results: The initial search resulted in 54 studies in the WoS, 16 of which were included in a detailed qualitative analysis, and 297 studies in Scopus with 19 of them analyzed (35 altogether). The keywords used were “fitness watch” (sport watch, smartwatch), “smart shoes”, “smart clothing”, “smart ring”, “smart belt”, and “smart glasses”. In the past three years, there has been a steady increase in the number of studies using smart monitoring devices to measure their data (nine in 2020, nine in 2021, and seventeen in 2022). Results showed that the most used device is a smartwatch, while the most carried out studies were about physical activity and daily activities of living. Furthermore, there are more studies about measuring devices being used as testing equipment than about device performance in general. Conclusions: This study summarizes various research conducted in the field of sports with the use of wearable measuring devices to determine the frequency of use of such devices in sport studies.

Purpose: Time spent in sedentary behaviors has become a major public health problem, affecting both physical and mental conditions, which is regularly evident in older adults. The aim of this study was to explore the association between each domain-specific sedentary behavior (screen-time, leisure-time sedentary behavior and transport) and total sedentary behavior (sum of all indicators) with “high” psychological distress among older individuals. Patients and methods: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 810 participants aged ≥85 (16% men) from 6 neighborhoods in the city of Zagreb. We used Measure of Older Adults’ Sedentary Time sedentary behavior questionnaire to assess the time spent in a specific domain of sedentary behavior and Kessler K6 scale to assess the level of psychological distress. Participants who had a score ≥13 points were treated as those with “high” psychological distress. Generalized estimating equations with Poisson regression models and risk ratios were used to calculate the association. Results: After adjusting for sex, body mass index, sleep quality, self-rated health, material status, physical activity, diet and chronic diseases, participants categorized in the second, third and fourth quartile of screen-time, in the fourth quartile of leisure-time sedentary behavior and in the third and fourth quartile of total sedentary behavior were less likely to have “high” psychological distress. However, participants categorized in the fourth quartile of transport were more likely to have “high” psychological distress. Conclusion: Our study shows that more time spent in front of screens, leisure and in total sedentary behavior is associated with lower levels, while more time spent in transport is associated with higher levels of psychological distress, pointing out that the aforementioned associations remained even after adjusting for variables describing “general” physical health. Thus, strategies aiming to reduce the time spent in passive transport and enhance active transport in a sample of older adults are warranted.

The main aim of this study is to examine age and gender differences in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) among Serbian secondary school children. The secondary aim is to explore the association between CRF and quality of life in Serbian adolescents. The sample consisted of 579 adolescents (285 males), aged from 14 to 18 years old. To evaluate their anthropometric measurements, body height and body weight were examined, the 20 m shuttle run test was used to access CRF, and the standardized global measure of wellbeing KIDSCREEN was used to access the wellbeing of adolescents. The results show that the boys possessed higher CRF compared to the girls, as well as higher scores on variable distance, but there were no significant differences according to age. CRF was positively associated with physical wellbeing, psychological wellbeing, total score HRQL, body height and body weight, and negatively correlated with BMI. Conversely, physical wellbeing showed positive correlation with the other subscales of KIDSCREEN (psychological wellbeing, autonomy and parents, peers and social support, and school environment), and total score of (Health–Related Quality of Life) HRQL. The results showed that better CRF would be beneficial for quality of life among Serbian adolescents, especially among girls. Moreover, the relationship between CRF and BMI shows that adolescents with regular values of BMI have better physical fitness and wellbeing.

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to examine differences in motor competence and muscular fitness between children engaged in combat sports and their peers who do not participate in structured physical activity. Methods: The sample consisted of 120 healthy eight-year-old children, evenly divided into two groups: 60 children practicing combat sports (karate, judo, and wrestling) for at least one year and 60 children without structured sports involvement. Motor competence was assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2), while muscular fitness was evaluated through standing broad jump, grip strength, 30 s sit-ups, bent arm hang, medicine ball throw, and push-ups. For differences between groups, the independent samples t-test was performed. Results: Results indicated that children practicing combat sports demonstrated significantly higher locomotor and manipulative skills (p < 0.01, ES = 0.76–1.25) and superior muscular fitness across all tests (p < 0.01, ES = 0.53–1.09) compared to their peers. Conclusions: These findings highlight the positive impact of combat sports on overall physical development, particularly in enhancing motor competence, muscle strength, and endurance. Given the critical role of motor competence and physical fitness at this age, integrating combat sports into daily routines can support long-term athletic development, encourage physical activity, and enhance overall health. Future research should explore the influence of specific combat sports on distinct physical attributes and consider additional factors such as total physical activity levels.