(1) Background: Regular physical activity (PA) plays an important role during early childhood physical and psychological development. This study investigates the effects of a 9-month PA intervention on physiological characteristics and motor and cognitive skills in preschool children. (2) Methods: Preschool children (n = 132; age 4 to 7 years) attending regular preschool programs were nonrandomly assigned to PA intervention (n = 66; 60 min sessions twice per week) or a control group (n = 66; no additional organized PA program) for 9 months. Exercise training for the intervention group included various sports games, outdoor activities, martial arts, yoga, and dance. Anthropometry, motor skills (7 tests), and cognitive skills (Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices and Cognitive Assessment System) were assessed before and after an intervention period in both groups. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. (3) Results: Body weight significantly increased in both groups over time. Compared to the changes observed in the control group, the intervention group significantly increased in chest circumference (p = 0.022). In contrast, the control group demonstrated an increase in waist circumference (p = 0.001), while these measures in the intervention group remained stable. Participants in the intervention group improved running speed (p = 0.016) and standing broad jump (p = 0.000). The flexibility level was maintained in the intervention group, while a significant decrease was observed in the control group (p = 0.010). Children from the intervention group demonstrated progress in the bent-arm hang test (p = 0.001), unlike the control group subjects. Varied improvements in cognitive skills were observed for different variables in both intervention and control groups, with no robust evidence for PA-intervention-related improvements. (4) Conclusions: Preschool children’s participation in a preschool PA intervention improves their motor skills.

Objective: The emergence of coronavirus in Serbia as well as in other European countries led to the declaration of a state of emergency, which, among other measures, included a switch to online education, the lockdown of public life and organized sports, and a curfew from 5 pm to 5 am. This study aimed to investigate the extent to which these measures affected children's daily routines. More specifically, it aimed to determine how children maintained their learning, physical activity, and screen time routines from the period before the state of emergency was declared.Methods: Response to an online parent-reported questionnaire was conducted (N = 450). The factorial validity of the scales was prepared using confirmatory factor analysis, with acceptable fit indices. Based on that, the authors tested the interrelations between dimensions using structural equation modeling in SPSS, AMOS 24.0.Results: The study results indicate a positive relationship between school achievement and study time (β = 0.25). They also indicate that children who were physically active before the pandemic continued their activities during the emergency state (β = 0.53). Physical activity impact during the COVID-19 emergency measures reduces children's behavior changes (β = 0.55). Finally, they highlight that children who spent more time with multimedia content had greater changes in anxiety, sensitivity, nervousness, and worry due to COVID-19 emergency measures (β = −0.38).Conclusions: Healthy lifestyle habits formed in childhood are suggested to be responsible for the greater “resistance to change” shown by the children from this study.

This study presents the results of empirical research conducted with the aim of analyzing differences in the physical activity of children in relation to the socio-economic characteristics of their families. The research was conducted by applying a questionnaire distributed to pupils aged 11-12 years, who live in the city of Novi Sad (the city and the village of Rumenka, Veternik, Kac, Bukovac, Futog). Bearing in mind that the work is a part of a broader research, the authors' attention was focused on the objective, and the evaluation of the respondents on the socioeconomic status of the family, as well as differences in physical activity among boys and girls, and children who live in urban or rural setting. As dominant in this study stands out the finding of the author that the socioeconomic characteristics of families significantly affect the intensity, form and quality of physical activity of children. Since such a finding puts children living in families with low socioeconomic status into a disadvantaged position, the authors believe that with the findings of this and compatible researches it is needed to familiarize with the wider academic community, in order to include other social institutions in the process of affirmation of physical activity as an important lifestyle quality in children and youth. 

Aggression and interpersonal violence (IV) against children and youth are issues in contemporary society. The current study reports on the youth athletes’ perception of the aggression and IV prevalence and its manifestation forms in a Serbian context. The sample included athletes (N = 2091) between the age of 11 and 18 years. Data were collected through an ad-hoc questionnaire created by the authors. Respondents’ answers to introductory questions about the frequency of IV indicated its absence (78.1%). However, the answers to the questions about specific forms of violent peer behavior indicated forms as well as the time and place where IV most often occurs. They underlined that IV takes place mainly after training or competition and during sports camps; and that the dressing room is the most favorable place for these behaviors. They also confirmed that the most prevalent subtypes of IV are psychological (roughly 40%) and physical (approximately 30%). The respondents’ opinions and experiences about IV (psychological, physical, sexual) revealed that factors such as gender, location, and parents’ education level may influence the IV manifestation. Highlighting the prevalence and the most frequently manifesting types of aggression and IV could help in awareness-raising of these social issues.

THE EFFECTS OF RESISTANCE TRAINING ON IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF INSTITUTIONALISED OLDER ADULTS

This research aims to content analyze the literature on innovation in the field of sports in Montenegro to provide a better basis for the establishment of a monitoring system. The research was conducted drawing on a pre-established methodology related to the assessment of the level of sports innovation based on 16 defined indicators. Grades were attributed to data found in available scientific articles that were published until 2021, as well as in secondary data sources (Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science), such as governmental and nongovernmental reports and online content on Google (N = 18) from the same period. The findings of content analysis indicate that all indicators averaged 2.25 (fair) on a six-point scale, while only one indicator was rated as excellent, five indicators were rated as good, four indicators were rated as fair, and lastly, five indicators were rated as poor. Based on the obtained results, a low level of innovation in the field of sports in Montenegro was determined, and this also applies to innovation indicators individually. These results can be used as an initial step in planning an appropriate strategy development at the national level, which will lead to the improvement of innovation activities and their implementation in the field of sports in Montenegro.