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Impact of a multicomponent physical activity intervention on cognitive performance: The MOVI‐KIDS study
Author(s) -
SánchezLópez Mairena,
CaveroRedondo Iván,
ÁlvarezBueno Celia,
RuizHermosa Abel,
PozueloCarrascosa Diana P.,
DíezFernández Ana,
GutierrezDíaz del Campo David,
PardoGuijarro María Jesús,
MartínezVizcaíno Vicente
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.575
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1600-0838
pISSN - 0905-7188
DOI - 10.1111/sms.13383
Subject(s) - cognition , mediation , propensity score matching , intervention (counseling) , cluster (spacecraft) , recreation , psychology , randomized controlled trial , medicine , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , physical therapy , psychiatry , political science , computer science , law , programming language
Introduction This study examined the impact of a multicomponent physical activity (PA) intervention (MOVI‐KIDS) on improving cognition in schoolchildren. This paper also analyzed the mediator role of motor fitness between MOVI‐KIDS and cognition. Methods Propensity score analysis of data from a cluster randomized controlled trial (MOVI‐KIDS study). This analysis including 240 5‐7 years old children from nine schools in the provinces of Cuenca and Ciudad Real, Spain. MOVI‐KIDS program consisted of: (a) three weekly after‐school sessions of recreational non‐competitive PA lasting 60 minutes during one academic year, (b) educational materials for parents and teachers, and (c) school playground modifications. Changes in cognition (logical reasoning, verbal factor, numerical factor, spatial factor, and general intelligence) were measured. A propensity score cross‐cluster matching procedure and mediation analysis (Hayes's PROCESS macro) were conducted. Results All cognitive variables pre‐post mean changes were significantly higher ( P ≤ 0.05) in children from intervention schools than those from control schools (effect size ranged from 0.33 to 1.48). The effect of the intervention on the spatial factor and general intelligence was partially mediated by motor fitness (indirect effect = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.36; 1.65; and indirect effect = 1.21, 95% CI: 0.06; 2.62, respectively). Conclusions This study shows that a one‐school‐year multicomponent intervention consisting of a recreational non‐competitive PA program, educational materials for parents and teachers, and school playground modifications improved the cognition of first‐grade children. Further, our results suggest that the effect of the intervention on cognition was mediated by changes in motor fitness.