Reaction time (RT) tasks assess several brain functions, and a slow RT can be due to various brain diseases, disorders, and acquired conditions. This study examined age and gender differences in RTs of Spanish preschool children on the ruler drop test (RDT) and presents norm-referenced results. Participants were 3,741 children (1,845 girls and 1,896 boys; mean [M] age = 55.93, standard deviation [ SD] = 11.14 months; M body mass index = 15.94, SD = 1.91 kg/m²), selected from 51 schools in southern Spain. We measured RT with the RDT, and we collected both right- and left-hand data. We expressed normative mean RDT values of both hands according to gender and age in percentiles. Based on mean RDT scores, girls exhibited a poorer performance than boys aged 4 years ( p = .032, Cohen’s d = − 0.122) and 5 years ( p = .001, Cohen’s d = −0.194). For the whole group, RDT performance was faster with increased age, from the age of five years.

Aim: Online university students face unique challenges that can impact their well-being, including sedentary lifestyles, prolonged screen exposure, and reduced physical activity. These factors have been linked to mental health issues, emphasizing the need to explore the role of physical activity in this specific population. This study aims to examine physical activity levels and the prevalence of mental health disorders, such as burnout, academic stress, sleep quality, and screen time among online university students. Subject and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 2204 university students (34.66 ± 9.15 years) undertaking an online university course. The students completed various self-report measures to assess life habits (sleep quality and screen time), physical activity levels, and indicators of mental health, including stress, anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion. Results: Students who engaged in higher levels of physical activity reported fewer sleep problems and lower screen time on both weekdays and weekends. Also, significant differences were observed in academic stress, generally revealing better mental health outcomes. Gender differences were found in sleep problems, screen time, and depression, indicating that these variables may be influenced differently depending on gender. Conclusion: The findings suggest that physical activity influences sleep quality, screen habits, and six key mental health factors. Additionally, sleep problems, screen time, and depression should be addressed with a gender-specific approach in online education settings.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the perception of schoolchildren whether their academic performance improved or worsened during the pandemic, analyzing their social anxiety, gender, use of masks in the classroom, and school year. The total sample was 107 primary school students (25 in the fourth, 40 in the fifth and 42 in the sixth grade), with a mean age of 10.51 years old (SD = 1). The gender were 58 girls and 49 boys, from a school in the province of La Coruña (Spain). The study was based on a quantitative methodology, and the design was cross-sectional, descriptive, observational and correlational. The social anxiety questionnaire (CASO-N24) was used to assess social anxiety, and an ad hoc self-report register was elaborated to evaluate sociodemographic variables. The results indicated that 44.8% of the schoolchildren considered that the pandemic had neither improved nor worsened their academic performance. Although 38.3% considered that high and very high social anxiety increased progressively as the school year progressed, both in boys and girls. Besides, the schoolchildren who presented very low and low social anxiety improved their grades in Physical Education, while those who presented high social anxiety worsened them. In conclusion, having a low social anxiety, lower grades before the pandemic and higher grades after, makes children perceive an improvement in their academic performance during the pandemic.

The aim of this study was to analyze the cardiac autonomic function at rest, at maximum exercise, and in recovery after exercise and to determine sex-specific and age-specific values for resting heart rate (RHR), hear rate (HR)-peak, HR recovery (HRR), and HR variability at rest in master runners. Fifty endurance runners (21 women) participated in this study (43.28 ± 5.25 years). The subjects came from different athletic clubs in Andalusia (Spain), and the testing protocol was performed in-season. A 3-km running test was performed and the cardiovascular response was monitored. Regarding sex, no significant differences were found regarding cardiovascular autonomic function at rest, during exercise, and following maximal exercise, only at rest, the standard deviation of all R-R intervals and low frequency values displayed significantly (p < 0.05) lower scores in women. 46% of athletes showed an RHR < 60 bpm. Additionally, HR-peak showed a significant correlation with age (r = −0.369; p = 0.009) and HRR_5min (r = 0.476, p = 0.001). Also, endurance performance was inversely associated with obesity traits and cardiometabolic risk factors. In summary, age, sex, fitness, or anthropometrics characteristics did not show a relevant influence on cardiovascular autonomic modulation in master runners. However, the 3-km performance displayed a significant negative association with several factors of cardiometabolic risk.

The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of age and sex on kinematic gait parameters in preschool children, and derive reference values for this population. A total of 383 preschool children (age 3–5 years; 207 girls, 176 boys) participated in this study. We used the OptoGait system to assess the kinematics of gait at a comfortable and self-determined speed. No significant differences between the sexes were found for the main gait parameters. Among the participants, there was a significant increase in double support, reductions in absolute cadence and the coefficient of variation (CV) of cadence, an increase in absolute step length (SL), and an increase in the walk ratio (WR) from 3 to 5 years of age. However, the normalized SL and normalized WR displayed a significant reduction in both sexes. Partial correlation indicated a significant association of age with SL and normalized SL, and WR. Additionally, WR showed a significant correlation with the CV of cadence. To summarize, no relevant differences in gait performance were found according to sex; however, age was found to influence gait maturation. The normative values established for Spanish preschool children can be used to monitor healthy gait development.