It is well documented that physical activity confers numerous physical and mental health benefits for children and adolescents.^1,2 Prominent among these include motor development, cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, maintenance of a healthy weight and level of adiposity, bone health, enhanced cognition, brain health, emotional regulation, mood, and quality of life.^3,4 Moreover, stable levels of physical activity during childhood and adolescence are known to predict engagement across the life course.⁵ During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, government-mandated social distancing restrictions were imposed across many countries, and this severely limited children’s access to regular physical activity opportunities.⁶ Major outlets for accessing physical activity (eg, sports clubs, swimming pools, gyms, community centers) were closed, cancelled, or repeatedly interrupted.^7,8 Global school closures affecting 1.5 billion youth worldwide^9,10 led to an increased reliance on digital media devices for learning activities,¹¹ and early signs suggest that sedentary screen time doubled compared with prepandemic estimates.¹² Naturally enough, school closures also meant a reduction in active commuting, as well as a lack of access to recess play and physical education lessons, both of which provide viable opportunities to meet daily physical activity guidelines.^13,14 Playground and other nature-based recreational facility closures also severely restricted access to outdoor and green spaces, which are key settings for childhood physical activity promoting play and socialization.¹⁵

The Covid-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on society, leading to a rapid closure of businesses, places of work, worship, social engagement, schools and universities. Sport is often seen – along with the arts – as a trivial pursuit, categorised under ‘hobbies’ or things to do once the serious business is over. However, this critical commentary argues that sport and sports events play a crucial social role even under normal circumstances. To this end we analyse the impact of Covid-19 on three areas of sport: first, the nature of elite sport played ‘without spectators’ is discussed and what this means for the necessary ‘feelgood’ factor associated with watching and following it; second, we look at Covid’s impact on the provision of sport for those in less well-off areas, drawing on a case study of Oldham during the pandemic. Finally, we analyse the severe economic and social impact of the pandemic on grassroots sports, including the relationship between mass and elite sport. This commentary seeks to stimulate wider interest on how Covid-19 has changed sport at elite and grassroots level and how the pandemic has led to differential outcomes for people from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. Based on the above, the commentary assesses the likely long-term consequences of the Coronavirus pandemic on sport.

Background: While it has been purported that excessive screen time can lead to behavioral problems, it has also been suggested that children with behavioral dysregulation receive more access to screens to manage problematic behavior. In this study, both temporally stable and longitudinal associations between screen time and externalizing and internalizing behaviors across childhood are examined to directly address this issue of directionality. Methods: Data are from a prospective cohort of 10,172 Irish children, collected between 2010 and 2018 when children were ages 3, 5, 7, and 9. Children’s screen time (hours/day) and externalizing and internalizing behaviors (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) were assessed via caregiver report. Random‐intercepts cross‐lagged panel models were used to estimate longitudinal bidirectional associations while controlling for temporally stable (i.e., ‘time‐invariant’ or ‘trait‐like’) differences between children. Results: Temporally stable differences between children were observed for both screen time and behavior problems. Longitudinal trajectories for screen time lacked stability; however, and externalizing and internalizing behaviors stabilized increasingly during later childhood. Greater externalizing and internalizing behaviors at age 3 were directionally associated with increased screen time at age 5. Greater screen time at ages 3 and 5 was directionally associated with increased internalizing behaviors at ages 5 and 7, respectively. More screen time at age 7 was directionally associated with fewer internalizing behaviors at age 9. Screen time was not associated with later externalizing behaviors. Conclusions: Bidirectional associations between screen time and internalizing behaviors were observed for preschoolers. Directional associations between screen time and internalizing difficulties were observed across childhood. These findings can inform screen use guidelines and family media planning at different ages and stages of development.

Kinesiology researchers have long had an interest in physical activity, fitness, and health issues and in the professional education and work practices of teachers and coaches. The professional development needs and practices of “fitness professionals,” however, have not been a major concern for researchers in the field. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the evidence on fitness professionals, their role in physical activity for health agendas, and the professional education and training that is available to support them. The analysis indicates that there is a mismatch between the expectations placed upon fitness professionals and the training and professional education that is available to them. It is argued that pedagogy researchers in kinesiology could usefully turn their attentions to this occupational group.

Conduct a meta-analysis documenting healthcare service utilization rates for pediatric (148,000 child and adolescent eating disorder-related visits to >300 health settings across 15 countries were included (mean age 12.7 [SD 4.1] years; 87% girls). There was strong evidence of an increase in healthcare utilization for EDs during the pandemic (rate ratio [RR] 1.54, 95%CI 1.38-1.71). Moderator analysis revealed larger rate increases among girls (RR 1.48, 95%CI 1.28-1.71) compared to boys (RR 1.24, 95%CI 1.06-1.45) and adolescents (≥12 to 19 years) (RR 1.53, 95%CI 1.29-1.81) compared to children (RR 0.87, 95%CI 0.53-1.43). Moderator analysis demonstrated strong evidence of increased utilization of emergency department (RR 1.70, 95%CI 1.48-1.97), inpatient (RR 1.56, 95%CI 1.33-1.84), and outpatient services (RR 1.62, 95%CI 1.35-1.95), as well as strong evidence of increased rates of anorexia nervosa (RR 1.48, 95%CI 1.24-1.75). Healthcare utilization for pediatric EDs increased substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among girls and adolescents. It is important to continue to monitor if changes in healthcare utilization associated with acute pediatric mental distress are sustained beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whilst attendance at short, day-long courses or workshops features prominently in teachers’ continuing professional development (CPD) profiles, research remains equivocal about their lasting impact. The present study addresses questions about the impact of short-course CPD in the context of a national CPD programme aimed at developing teachers’ and teaching assistants’ self-efficacy in relation to inclusive physical education. A repeated measures design was adopted to examine the contribution of the CPD programme to participants’ self-efficacy. Data were collected from n = 1533, n = 1432, and n = 149 teachers and teaching assistants at baseline, immediately after the course, and 3–6 months later as a follow up. Results suggest that short-course CPD can positively affect teachers’ and teaching assistants’ self-efficacy in the short term. However, longer-term benefits were confounded by gender, age, years experience working in the profession, efficacy beliefs prior to attending the CPD course, and perceptions on the quality of the course attended. The results of this study reinforce existing research that the effectiveness of short-course CPD is dependent on a range of individual factors and perceptions on CPD quality, and that greater tailoring of delivery is required to ensure that learning is maximised for all involved. Abbreviations: CPD (Continuing Professional Development); PE (Physical Education; IPE (Inclusive Physical Education)