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Motor coordination problems and psychological distress in young adults: A test of the Environmental Stress Hypothesis
Abstract
Background and aims:
The Environmental Stress Hypothesis (ESH) has been used to examine how the relationship between poor motor coordination and psychological distress is affected by physical health and psychosocial factors. However, work applying the ESH is still limited, and no studies have used this framework with adults. The current investigation aims to examine the association between motor coordination and psychological distress among emerging adults, and examine potential mediators to this relationship based on the ESH.
Methods:
225 young adults aged 17-23 years completed a survey of motor coordination, physical activity, secondary stressors (i.e., general stress and global relationships), perceived social support, self-concept, and psychological distress. Structural equation modeling was conducted to examine mediating pathways and overall model fit.
Results:
The final model of the ESH showed good model fit (x2 = 83.24, p < .01; RMSEA=0.056; NNFI = 0.927; CFI = 0.954; GFI = 0.947), and indicated that the relationship between poor motor coordination and psychological distress was mediated by secondary stressors, perceived social support, and self-concept.
Conclusions:
This study highlights the effect of poor motor coordination on psychological distress in young adults, and suggests that interventions should target psychosocial well-being, in addition to motor coordination, to prevent psychological distress.
... It is well known that low motor proficiency early in life is a significant risk factor for negative psychosocial outcomes, and consequently internalizing problems (Cairney, Rigoli, & Piek, 2013). These outcomes can extend into adolescence and adulthood (Kirby, Sugden, Beveridge, & Edwards, 2008;Li, Kwan, & Cairney, 2019). However, most of the literature to date focuses on children (Mandich & Polatajko, 2003;Skinner & Piek, 2001), and an understanding of the impact of low motor proficiency in adults and the factors that mediate the relationship between motor proficiency and internalizing problems is still limited in adulthood (Hill et al., 2016;Rigoli et al., 2017). ...
... In adults, the literature is modest, but it suggests that motor proficiency has a strong impact on mental health. Li et al. (2019) investigated the relationship between motor proficiency and psychological distress in 225 young adults aged 17-23 years and found it to be mediated by perceived social support and self-concept, as assumed by the EHS. Similarly, another study with a similar age range (18-30 years) found that perceived social support mediated the relationship between motor proficiency and internalizing problems (Rigoli et al., 2017). ...
... A participant is identified as having possible DCD if they score ≥ 17 in Section 1 and have a total score ≥ 65. As in the Li et al. (2019)'s study, we used the total score of the test as a continuous variable to describe motor proficiency in adults. Internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach's alpha (α). ...
The Environmental Stress Hypothesis (ESH) is a theoretical model used to understand the factors mediating the relationship between motor proficiency and internalizing problems. The aim of this study is to explore a potential extension of the ESH by examining whether BMI, physical activity levels, self-esteem, self-efficacy and social support are potential mediators between motor proficiency and internalizing problems in young adults. 290 adults aged between 18 and 30 years old (150 women, 140 men) were evaluated with the following instruments: Adult Developmental Coordination Disorders Checklist (ADC), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS 21), Social Support Satisfaction Scale (SSSS), Perceived General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and self-reported body mass index (BMI). The results indicated that self-esteem, self-efficacy, and social support mediate the relationship between motor proficiency and internalizing problems in this sample. Thus, the findings reinforce the notion that early intervention and preventive psychological care can serve as protective aspects of mental health in adults at risk for low motor proficiency.
... Depression is a major mental health risk for adults with ADHD and/or DCD, with higher levels of depressionrelated markers reported in comparison to the neurotypical population (Hill & Brown, 2013;Landgren et al., 2021;Powell et al., 2021). ADHD and depression symptom severity are correlated (Powell et al., 2021), as are DCD symptoms and psychological distress (Li et al., 2019). An additive effect is observed in those with a dual diagnosis of ADHD + DCD, with parent reports (Missiuna et al., 2014) and twin studies (Piek et al., 2007) indicating that children with ADHD + DCD have greater levels of depression symptoms than those with ADHD or DCD alone. ...
... Metacognition and planning/organising also partially mediated DCD and depression symptoms. The unknown mechanisms of these mediations could be due to the psychosocial implications of motor difficulties cited to play a role in developing depression in DCD (Cairney et al., 2013;Li et al., 2019). Metacognition may be implicated in academic/occupational functioning (e.g., planning/organising difficulties in procrastination; Rabin et al., 2011). ...
This study was designed to test the effects of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) on depression levels and investigate the mediating role of executive function (EF) in adults. Adults with ADHD, DCD, and ADHD + DCD (N = 139) completed self-report measures of ADHD, DCD, depression, and EF. There were distinct profiles of EF across diagnostic groups, and higher depression symptoms in adults with ADHD + DCD than DCD alone. All EF domains were predicted by ADHD symptoms, and several by DCD symptoms. ADHD and DCD symptoms, and most EF domains, predicted depression symptoms. Overall EF difficulties fully mediated the relationships between ADHD/DCD and depression symptoms. Several specific EF domains relating to behavioural regulation and metacognition also showed full/partial mediating effects. The mediating role of EF difficulties between these neurodevelopmental conditions and depression symptoms has implications for their understanding and treatment, suggesting that targeting EF may be important for preventing co-occurring depression.
... Furthermore, the most frequent cause of injury for sparring athletes was excessive desire to win and excessive tension. In addition, a previous study reported that excessive tension prevents athletes from performing to their original level of performance (Li et al., 2019). This indicates the need for psychological strategies to resolve the excessive tension or desire to win among sparring athletes. ...
... Lee et al. (2020) reported that athletes with insufficient ability often experience injuries while performing complex movements, such as jumping over high position obstacles or mid-air kicking; this supports the result of this study. In addition, excessive tension appears to cause injuries through unnatural movements, as it reduces coordination among movements (Li et al., 2019). ...
The objective of this study was to investigate the range of injuries according to the competition format type of Taekwondo (sparring, poomsae, and demonstration) and compare the level of injuries to provide basic data for preventing injuries among Taekwondo athletes. Data were collected through a survey of 472 Taekwondo athletes using convenience sampling and self-administration methods. The most frequently injured body part was the ankle for sparring (54.03%) and demonstration (55.09%) athletes and the pelvis for poomsae (36.36%) athletes (x2 = 111.556, p < 0.001). The most frequent injury type was sprain for poomsae (36.40%) and demonstration (52.30%) athletes and fracture for sparring (49.40%) athletes (x2 = 127.752, p < 0.001). The most frequently reported cause of injury was excessive training and chronic fatigue (x2 = 50.251, p < 0.001). All three types of athletes showed a higher proportion of injury at the training location than at the competition location. The period for the return to training was ≤1 week for sparring (40.80%) and poomsae (64.10%) athletes but 2-3 weeks for demonstration (27.8%) athletes (x2 = 45.582, p < 0.001). Diverse strategies, ranging from wearing protective gear to adopting a conditioning strategy and psychological training, are needed for each competition format of Taekwondo to prevent injuries in daily training.
... Suggestion of a direct impact on educational attainment provides another mediating pathway through which FMS may influence childhood development; a recent systematic review (Macdonald et al., 2018) found evidence generally in favor of positive associations existing between FMS and educational attainment in reading and mathematics. Studies have also linked low levels of motor ability with social and emotional problems including: being withdrawn in social settings, having a poor selfconcept, higher psychological distress, and increased anxiety levels (Brown & Cairney, 2020;Li et al., 2019a;Rodriguez et al., 2019). ...
... This finding is, perhaps, unsurprising as 85% of the sample do not recall having training on FMS. The lack of FMS in teacher training courses is particularly alarming, due to the wide-ranging impacts this group of motor skills has on childhood development (Ahn & Fedewa, 2011;Brown & Cairney, 2020;Burns et al., 2020;Li et al., 2019a;Stodden et al., 2008;De Waal, 2019). Additionally, the results of this questionnaire found that teachers who had previous training on FMS were more likely to work in schools where FMS assessments are being undertaken, and were also more likely to think that there would be sufficient time for a start of year assessment and that results of such assessments would aid teaching practices. ...
Evidence suggests that children struggle to acquire age-appropriate fundamental movement skills (FMS), despite their importance for facilitating physical activity. This has led to calls for routine school-based screening of children's FMS. However, there is limited research exploring schools' capacity to conduct such assessments. This study investigated what factors might affect the adoption and implementation of FMS assessments in primary schools. School staff (n = 853) completed an online questionnaire developed using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation and Behavior (COM-B) model. A majority reported that knowledge of pupils' FMS ability would be beneficial (65.3%), and 71.8% would assess FMS if support was provided. Barriers included: Capability-few possessed knowledge of FMS (15%); Opportunity-teachers reported 30-60 minutes as acceptable for assessing a class, a substantially shorter period than current assessments require; Motivation-57.2% stated FMS assessments would increase workload stress. Solutions to these issues are discussed using the COMB theoretical framework.
... static balance) skills [1]. Competency of FMS has been found to be positively associated with children's socioemotional development [2][3][4], and educational outcomes [5][6][7][8][9][10]. Additionally, research suggests that FMS play a crucial role in childhood physical activity [11][12][13], which in turn is associated a wide range of physical, mental, and social well-being outcomes [14][15][16][17][18][19]. ...
... It is therefore likely that participants from study three will have had fewer difficulties with FMS, compared to the schools from studies one and two that were situated within the most deprived 10% of neighbourhoods in the UK. This influenced the decision of the working group to not change the scoring of the running activity in the finalised FUNMOVES battery, despite running having disordered thresholds (children not scoring [1][2][3][4][5] in the final study, as it was believed that removing the lower scoring categories would impact upon FUNMOVES' utility for measuring running ability in low SES children. ...
Background
A large proportion of children are not able to perform age-appropriate fundamental movement skills (FMS). Thus, it is important to assess FMS so that children needing additional support can be identified in a timely fashion. There is great potential for universal screening of FMS in schools, but research has established that current assessment tools are not fit for purpose.
Objective
To develop and validate the psychometric properties of a FMS assessment tool designed specifically to meet the demands of universal screening in schools.
Methods
A working group consisting of academics from developmental psychology, public health and behavioural epidemiology developed an assessment tool (FUNMOVES) based on theory and prior evidence. Over three studies, 814 children aged 4 to 11 years were assessed in school using FUNMOVES. Rasch analysis was used to evaluate structural validity and modifications were then made to FUNMOVES activities after each study based on Rasch results and implementation fidelity.
Results
The initial Rasch analysis found numerous psychometric problems including multidimensionality, disordered thresholds, local dependency, and misfitting items. Study 2 showed a unidimensional measure, with acceptable internal consistency and no local dependency, but that did not fit the Rasch model. Performance on a jumping task was misfitting, and there were issues with disordered thresholds (for jumping, hopping and balance tasks). Study 3 revealed a unidimensional assessment tool with good fit to the Rasch model, and no further issues, once jumping and hopping scoring were modified.
Implications
The finalised version of FUNMOVES (after three iterations) meets standards for accurate measurement, is free and able to assess a whole class in under an hour using resources available in schools. Thus FUNMOVES has the potential to allow schools to efficiently screen FMS to ensure that targeted support can be provided and disability barriers removed.
... Suggestion of a direct impact on educational attainment provides another mediating pathway through which FMS may influence childhood development; a recent systematic review (Macdonald et al., 2018) found evidence generally in favor of positive associations existing between FMS and educational attainment in reading and mathematics. Studies have also linked low levels of motor ability with social and emotional problems including: being withdrawn in social settings, having a poor selfconcept, higher psychological distress, and increased anxiety levels (Brown & Cairney, 2020;Li et al., 2019a;Rodriguez et al., 2019). ...
... This finding is, perhaps, unsurprising as 85% of the sample do not recall having training on FMS. The lack of FMS in teacher training courses is particularly alarming, due to the wide-ranging impacts this group of motor skills has on childhood development (Ahn & Fedewa, 2011;Brown & Cairney, 2020;Burns et al., 2020;Li et al., 2019a;Stodden et al., 2008;De Waal, 2019). Additionally, the results of this questionnaire found that teachers who had previous training on FMS were more likely to work in schools where FMS assessments are being undertaken, and were also more likely to think that there would be sufficient time for a start of year assessment and that results of such assessments would aid teaching practices. ...
... Although rarely diagnosed, these problems are common during childhood [3][4][5] and less than half of affected children receive adequate treatment. 6 In order to avoid the early appearance of mental health problems, it is essential to understand the risk factors that can affect the development of these problems 7 . Among them, motor skills can be mentioned, defined as the ability to perform precise and coordinated movements in a wide range of motor abilities, and essential for the psychosocial development of children 8,9 . ...
Poor motor skills may be associated with the incidence of problems with mental health, especially with regard to social, behavioral, and emotional outcomes. The aim of the current study was to analyze the association of emotional and behavioral problems with motor skills in students aged 7 to 10 years. For this, 339 children (187 girls and 152 boys) were evaluated. The variables were measured using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd ed. (MABC-2) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The results indicated that children with poor motor skills were more likely to present abnormal development in terms of emotional and behavioral problems when compared to children from the reference group. Thus, empirical data such as these can assist in raising public and professional awareness, considering the social and psychological consequences of poor motor skills, in addition to the individual costs arising from mental health problems.
Keywords:
Emotional problems; Behavioral problems; Motor skills; Child
... It can also be supplemented with various motor screening tools, however the current gold standard motor tests screen for likely DCD in youth (e.g., MABC-2; Henderson et al., 2007;BOT-2, Bruininks & Bruininks, 2005), and have not been validated in adults (ages 16 + and 21 +, respectively). Further, ADC scores do not necessarily correlate positively with objective motor skill measures (e.g., Li et al., 2019) but this could be attributed to the questionnaire scoring scheme not distinguishing motor versus non-motor dimensions (Barnett, 2014). Importantly, the evaluation by a professional clinician is crucial to the diagnosis of DCD; it cannot be based solely on ADC scores. ...
Background: The Adult Dyspraxia/DCD Checklist (ADC) is the only existing self-report questionnaire to screen adults for potential Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). It was developed in English and Hebrew, however, its factor structure has not yet been assessed.
Aims: The goals of the current study were to (1) develop and refine a German translation, (2) explore the emerging factors in a new and restructured ADC in German and apply this structure to an English ADC, and (3) explore its potential for distinguishing DCD versus ADHD.
Method: In a series of three studies, we assessed comprehensibility of the translation and revisions to the questionnaire. We further examined subscale structure in a sample of N=148 individuals with DCD or ADHD and retested it in an English-speaking sample (N=134).
Results: Overall, we found decent reliability and construct validity for the German ADC. Three components emerged with themes of fine motor coordination, gross motor coordination, and executive functions which had strong psychometric properties in German and English.
Conclusions: The studies collectively highlight the German translation is effective and has strong potential to differentiate DCD and ADHD. Most notably, there are unique symptom profiles in motor and executive functioning difficulties in adults with DCD or ADHD.
... A recent systematic review concluded that strong positive associations exist between FMS and educational achievements in reading and mathematics [11]. Studies have also linked low levels of FMS with social and emotional problems, including being withdrawn in social settings, having a poor self-concept, higher stress, and increased anxiety levels [12,13]. ...
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the BRAINballs program on second graders’ gross motor skills in a primary school in Vietnam. A total of 55 students (23 boys and 32 girls) aged seven years participated in the study. The research used the method of a pedagogical experiment and parallel group technique (experimental and control group) with pre- and post-testing. The study was conducted in the school year 2019/2020. The gross motor skills performance was assessed by the Test of Gross Motor Development—2nd Edition. The BRAINballs program was conducted twice a week and combined physical activity with subject-related contents by means of a set of 100 balls with painted letters, numbers, and signs. The results showed that the experimental and control groups improved their motor skills after one school year (p < 0.001). However, the analysis of covariance demonstrated that students from the experimental group, compared to students from the control group, showed significantly better scores in both subtests: locomotor (p = 0.0000) and object control skills (p = 0.0000). The findings of this study show that the BRAINballs program had a positive effect on children’s motor performances and may help to better understand the development of basic motor skills of seven-year-old students in Vietnam.
... A recent systematic review (7) concluded that strong positive associations exist between FMS and educational attainment in reading and mathematics. Studies have also linked low levels of FMS with social and emotional problems including: being withdrawn in social settings, having a poor self-concept, higher psychological distress, and increased anxiety levels (8)(9)(10). ...
Background
Evidence suggests that significant numbers of school children fail to acquire age-appropriate fundamental movement skills (FMS), despite the importance of FMS in facilitating participation in physical activities. This has led to calls for an increase in routine screening of children’s FMS in school settings. However, there is limited research exploring teachers’ knowledge of FMS, and the capacity of schools to conduct such assessments. This project therefore aimed to explore primary school teachers’ knowledge of FMS, and investigated what factors might influence the acceptability of FMS assessments in primary schools.
Methods
Primary school staff working in roles that directly impact the learning of children were invited to take a brief (10–15 minutes) online questionnaire developed using the COM-B Behaviour Change Model.
Results
Primary school staff (n = 851) from 32 countries (UK: n = 746, 88%) completed the questionnaire. A majority reported that knowledge of their pupils’ FMS ability would be beneficial (65.3%), and 71.8% said they would assess FMS if appropriate support was provided. Identified barriers to school-based FMS assessments included: Capability – few (15%) possessed knowledge of FMS; Opportunity – teachers reported that 30–60 minutes would be acceptable for assessing the FMS of a whole class, a substantially shorter period than current assessments require; Motivation – 57.2% stated FMS assessments would increase workload stress and 48% of teachers would be influenced by their peers. Solutions to these issues are discussed using the COM-B theoretical framework.
Conclusions
Current FMS assessment tools are not acceptable, or feasible for use in schools. There is a need for existing measures to be modified, or new tools to be developed, underpinned by the considerations outlined in this paper, if FMS screening in schools is to become a reality.
... Variables with missing values were entered into a regression model, including body height and weight, time spent in different domains of physical activity, and item scores for all other measures (e.g., ADC and PSDQ-S). Taking into account the potential effect of sex on the variables measured in this study, the missing values were imputed for males and females, separately [29]. ...
Little research has investigated the relationships among motor coordination, perceived physical self-concept (PSC), and physical activity during emerging adulthood. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether PSC mediates the relationship between motor coordination and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in emerging adults. This was a cross-sectional study with 218 undergraduate students aged 17–23 years (167 females, 76.6%). Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire including self-reported measures of motor coordination, PSC and MVPA. The mediating effects of both overall and domain-specific PSC were tested on the relationship between motor coordination and MVPA. Motor coordination was found to have a significant indirect effect on MVPA through overall PSC. Exploratory analyses specifically showed a mediating effect of domain-specific PSC of activity on the relationships between motor coordination and MVPA during chores and leisure-time. Findings from the current study highlight the importance of PSC on the relationship between motor coordination and MVPA and showed that university students with poor motor coordination exhibit lower levels of PSC, specifically, the perception of activity. Future interventions targeting the enhancement of MVPA should focus on improvement in the self-perception of physical activity alongside motor skills training.
The current study aims to provide an in-depth analysis and extension of the Environmental Stress Hypothesis (ESH) framework, focusing on the complex interplay between poor motor skills and internalising problems like anxiety and depression. Using an integrative research review methodology, this study synthesises findings from 38 articles, both empirical and theoretical, building upon previous foundational works. The hypothesis posits that poor motor skills serve as a primary stressor, leading to internalising problems through various secondary stressors. A rigorous comparison of data was conducted, considering study design, findings, and methodologies—while exploring variables such as age, sex, and comorbidities. The study also enhances the ESH framework by including intrapersonal stressors and introducing resource buffers, including optimism and familial support as additional influencing factors. This multi-level approach yields a more nuanced and comprehensive ESH framework, highlighting the need for future studies to consider variables that intersect across multiple domains and how the relationship between poor motor skills and internalising problems may vary across different life stages.
Aim
Assess whether school-based teacher-led screening is effective at identifying children with motor difficulties.
Methods
Teachers tested 217 children aged between 5 and 11 years old, after a one hour training session, using a freely available tool (FUNMOVES). Four classes (n = 91) were scored by both researchers and teachers to evaluate inter-rater reliability. Researchers assessed 22 children using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2; considered to be the ‘gold standard’ in Europe for use as part of the diagnostic process for Developmental Coordination Disorder) to assess concurrent and predictive validity.
Results
Inter-rater reliability for all individual activities within FUNMOVES ranged from 0.85–0.97 (unweighted Kappa; with 95%CI ranging from 0.77–1). For total score this was lower (κ = 0.76, 95%CI = 0.68–0.84), however when incorporating linear weighting, this improved (κ = 0.94, 95%CI = 0.89–0.99). When evaluating FUNMOVES total score against the MABC-2 total score, the specificity (1, 95%CI = 0.63–1) and positive predictive value (1; 95%CI = 0.68–1) of FUNMOVES were high, whereas sensitivity (0.57, 95%CI = 0.29–0.82) and negative predictive values (0.57, 95%CI = 0.42–0.71) were moderate. Evaluating only MABC-2 subscales which are directly related to fundamental movement skills (Aiming & Catching, and Balance) improved these values to 0.89 (95%CI = 0.52–1) and 0.93 (95%CI = 0.67–0.99) respectively.
Interpretation
Teacher-led screening of fundamental movement skills (via FUNMOVES) is an effective method of identifying children with motor difficulties. Such universal screening in schools has the potential to identify movement difficulties and enable earlier intervention than the current norm.
Introduction
Individuals with developmental coordination disorder frequently report emotional and functional difficulties. A stressful era as COVID-19 pandemic may enhance emotional load. The present study aimed to (1) examine the emotional distress and quality of life among adults with developmental coordination disorder during COVID-19 as compared to typical controls, and (2) examine the relationships between these factors in adults with developmental coordination disorder.
Method
Participants were 317 adults, aged 18–66, recruited during the first year of COVID-19: 227 were included in the developmental coordination disorder group, and 90 in the control group (normal motor performance) based on the Adult Developmental Co-ordination Disorders/Dyspraxia Checklist cutoff score. Participants completed a sociodemographic health status/daily life under COVID-19 questionnaire and self-reports about their emotional status (depression, anxiety, stress) and a quality of life.
Results
The developmental coordination disorder group had significantly greater depression, anxiety, stress, and lower quality of life. Participants with developmental coordination disorder who were infected by COVID-19 or reported reduction of working hours due to COVID-19 had the lowest social and environmental quality of life. Depression significantly predicted reduced quality of life and mediated between developmental coordination disorder severity and quality of life.
Conclusions
Prevention and intervention programs for adults with developmental coordination disorder should be elaborated, with reference to emotional load and to implications on daily life, especially in times of crisis, like COVID-19.
The Environmental Stress Hypothesis (ESH) is a causal theoretical framework that provides a flexible context for understanding factors that mediate the relationship between low motor proficiency and internalizing problems in children. The purpose of the present study was to use the ESH framework to determine whether body mass index (BMI), physical activity levels, psychosocial health and physical health, self-efficacy, perceived social status, prosocial behavior and externalizing problems were potential mediators between motor proficiency and internalizing factors in a population of Brazilian children. 431 children aged 7- to 10 years (240 females, 191 males) participated in the study. The variables were measured with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd ed. (MABC-2), the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the MacArthur Subjective Social Status Scale (MacArthur SSS), the Self-efficacy Sense Assessment Roadmap (RASAE), and the Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ). The results indicated a direct relationship between motor proficiency and internalizing problems in a population of Brazilian children, with externalizing problems being the only variable mediating that relationship. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that externalizing problems were tested in the context of the ESH. Understanding and evaluating potential mediators in the relationship between motor proficiency and internalizing problems using the ESH framework is essential to promote prevention policies and interventions for school-age children.
Aim:
To assess the relationship between developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and mental health outcomes in late adolescence.
Method:
Data were analyzed from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Moderate-to-severe DCD was defined at 7 to 8 years according to the DSM-IV-TR criteria. Mental health was assessed at 16 to 18 years using self-reported questionnaires: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Short Moods and Feelings Questionnaire, and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. Logistic and linear regressions assessed the associations between DCD and mental health, using multiple imputation to account for missing data. Adjustments were made for socio-economic status, IQ, and social communication difficulties.
Results:
Adolescents with DCD (n=168) had an increased risk of mental health difficulties (total Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire score) than their peers (n=3750) (odds ratio 1.78, 95% confidence interval 1.12-2.83, adjusted for socio-economic status and IQ). This was, in part, mediated through poor social communication skills. Adolescent females with DCD (n=59) were more prone to mental health difficulties than males. Greater mental well-being was associated with better self-esteem (β 0.82, p<0.001).
Interpretation:
Individuals with DCD, particularly females, had increased risk of mental health difficulties in late adolescence. Interventions that aim to promote resilience in DCD should involve improving social communication skills and self-esteem.
The aim of this paper was to contribute to the elaboration of the Environmental Stress Hypothesis framework by testing eight hypotheses addressing the direct impact of gross motor coordination problems in elementary-school on selected physical, behavioral and psychosocial outcomes in adolescence. Results are based on a longitudinal sample of 940 participants who were (i) recruited as part of a population-based representative survey on health, physical fitness and physical activity in childhood and adolescence, (ii) assessed twice within 6 years, between the ages of 6 and 10 years old as well as between the ages of 12 and 16 years old (Response Rate: 55.9%) and (iii) classified as having gross motor coordination problems (N = 115) or having no gross motor coordination problems (N = 825) at baseline. Motor tests from the Körperkoordinationstest, measures of weight and height, a validated physical activity questionnaire as well as the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire were conducted. Data were analyzed by use of binary logistic regressions. Results indicated that elementary-school children with gross motor coordination problems show a higher risk of persistent gross motor coordination problems (OR = 7.99, p < 0.001), avoiding organized physical activities (OR = 1.53, p < 0.05), an elevated body mass (OR = 1.78, p < 0.05), bonding with sedentary peers (OR = 1.84, p < 0.01) as well as emotional (OR = 1.73, p < 0.05) and conduct (OR = 1.79, p < 0.05) problems in adolescence in comparison to elementary-school children without gross motor coordination problems. However, elementary-school children with gross motor coordination problems did not show a significantly higher risk of peer problems (OR = 1.35, p = 0.164) or diminished prosocial behavior (OR = 1.90, p = 0.168) in adolescence, respectively in comparison to elementary-school children without gross motor coordination problems. This study is the first to provide population-based longitudinal data ranging from childhood to adolescence in the context of the Environmental Stress Hypothesis which can be considered a substantial methodological progress. In summary, gross motor coordination problems represent a serious issue for a healthy transition from childhood to adolescence which substantiates respective early movement interventions.
Objectives: Poor motor skills are associated with a range of psychosocial consequences, including internalizing (anxious and depressive) symptoms. The Elaborated Environmental Stress Hypothesis provides a causal framework to explain this association. The framework posits that motor skills impact internalizing problems through an indirect effect via perceived social support. However, empirical evaluation is required. We examined whether motor skills had an indirect effect on anxious and depressive symptoms via perceived family support domains.
Methods: This study used a community sample of 93 adolescents (12–16 years). Participants completed measures of motor skills, perceived social support across three dimensions (family, friend, and significant other), depressive symptoms, and anxious symptoms. Age, gender, verbal IQ, and ADHD symptoms were included as control variables.
Results: Regression analysis using PROCESS revealed that motor skills had an indirect effect on depressive symptoms via perceived family support, but not by perceived friend support or significant other support. The negative association between motor skills and anxious symptoms was not mediated by any perceived social support domain.
Conclusions: Findings are consistent with previous literature indicating an association between motor skills and internalizing problems. However, we identified a different pattern of relationships across anxious and depressive symptoms. While anxiety and depressive symptoms were highly correlated, motor skills had an indirect effect on depressive symptoms via perceived family support only. Our findings highlight the importance of family support as a potential protective factor in the onset of depressive symptoms. This study provides partial support for the Elaborated Environmental Stress Hypothesis, however further research is required.
Difficulties with low motor competence in childhood and adolescence, such as that seen in Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), often persist into adulthood. Identification of DCD at all ages is particularly challenging and problematic because of the diversity of motor symptoms. Many tests of motor proficiency and impairment have been developed for children up to 12 years of age. Whilst identification of DCD is important during childhood, it is of equal importance to identify and monitor the impact of this impairment as an individual grows and develops. Currently there is no test specifically designed to support diagnosis and monitor change in the age range 16-30 years. In this article we review five tests that have been used to assess motor competence among young adults (Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-2, McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development, Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2, Tufts Assessment of Motor Performance and the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment). Key issues relevant to testing motor skills in older populations, such as the inclusion of age appropriate skills, are explored. While the BOT-2 provided the most evidence for valid and reliable measurement of Criterion A of the diagnostic criteria for DCD among this age group, no test adequately evaluated Criterion B. Further evaluation of motor skill assessment among the young adult population is needed.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Students with high levels of connectedness to the university have been found to be more likely to complete their college degree than are students with low levels of university connectedness. This study examined the role of parental and peer attachment as distal predictors of school connectedness. As predicted, it was found that attachment style to parents predicted attachment style to peers. An avoidant attachment style to peers predicted negative perceptions of peer support and support services. An anxious attachment style to peers predicted negative perceptions of faculty support. Perceptions of peer support, support services, and faculty support then predicted feelings of connectedness to the university. Classroom comfort also predicted university connectedness, although it was not found to be related to attachment style to parents or peers. Implications for college students and college/university administrators are discussed.
Impaired motor development can deprive a child of constructive engagement in early motor activities and thus diminish opportunities for the acquisition of key cognitive, social and emotional abilities. The aim of the current study was to test a model where social skills mediate the relationship between motor ability and internalizing symptoms in pre-primary children. A cross-sectional research design was employed to assess the mediation model using data from 234 boys and 241 girls aged 4 to 6 years. Structural equation modelling provided support for the mediating role of social skills as assessed by the child's teacher. Replication of these findings in longitudinal studies, elucidating how social skills relate to motor impairment, could have implications for the prevention of psychopathology in young children with motor impairment. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
For structural equation models, a huge variety of fit indices has been developed. These indices, however, can point to conflicting conclusions about the extent to which a model actually matches the observed data. The present article provides some guide-lines that should help applied researchers to evaluate the adequacy of a given struc-tural equation model. First, as goodness-of-fit measures depend on the method used for parameter estimation, maximum likelihood (ML) and weighted least squares (WLS) methods are introduced in the context of structural equation modeling. Then, the most common goodness-of-fit indices are discussed and some recommendations for practitioners given. Finally, we generated an artificial data set according to a "true" model and analyzed two misspecified and two correctly specified models as examples of poor model fit, adequate fit, and good fit. In structural equation modeling (SEM), a model is said to fit the observed data to the extent that the model-implied covariance matrix is equivalent to the empirical co-variance matrix. Once a model has been specified and the empirical covariance matrix is given, a method has to be selected for parameter estimation. Different estimation meth-ods have different distributional assumptions and have different discrepancy functions to be minimized. When the estimation procedure has converged to a reasonable
School‐age children with movement problems such as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) are known to have social and emotional difficulties. However, little research has investigated younger children to determine whether these problems emerge at school age or are present earlier. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between motor coordination, emotional recognition and internalising behaviours in young preschool children. Forty‐one kindergarten children (M = 4 years, 4 months), 22 boys and 19 girls, were assessed on the McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development, the Emotional Recognition Scales, the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, and the Child Behavior Checklist. Motor ability was positively related to a child's emotion comprehension. However, once age, sex, Performance IQ and Verbal IQ were controlled for, it was no longer a significant predictor, which contrasts with previous findings in school‐age children. However, the expected correlation between motor ability and anxiety/depression was significant with a moderate effect size. The results indicate that further investigation is required on the relationship between motor ability and social–emotional development in preschool‐age children.
The development of a self-report measure of subjectively assessed social support, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), is described. Subjects included 136 female and 139 male university undergraduates. Three subscales, each addressing a different source of support, were identified and found to have strong factorial validity: (a) Family, (b) Friends, and (c) Significant Other. In addition, the research demonstrated that the MSPSS has good internal and test-retest reliability as well as moderate construct validity. As predicted, high levels of perceived social support were associated with low levels of depression and anxiety symptomatology as measured by the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. Gender differences with respect to the MSPSS are also presented. The value of the MSPSS as a research instrument is discussed, along with implications for future research.
Although significant attention has been paid to promoting the importance of physical activity in children, adolescents, and adults, we do not currently understand how to promote sustained physical activity levels throughout the lifespan. We contend that previous research has failed to consider the dynamic and synergistic role that motor skill competence plays in the initiation, maintenance, or decline of physical activity and how this role might change across developmental time. In this article, we present a conceptual model hypothesizing the relationships among physical activity, motor skill competence, perceived motor skill competence, health-related physical fitness, and obesity. We contend that the development of motor skill competence is a primary underlying mechanism that promotes engagement in physical activity. (Contains 1 figure.)
In this paper, we offer a clarified account of global self-esteem as consisting of self-competence and self-liking and describe a revised instrument designed to measure the two correlated dimensions. In Study 1, four measurement models representing distinct conceptions of self-esteem are compared to confirm the a priori structure of the instrument. In Study 2, multiple reporters (self, mother, father) are used to provide evidence for convergent and discriminant validity in a multitrait–multimethod context. Advantages of the two-dimensional approach to measurement are discussed.
To explore the associations between probable developmental coordination disorder (DCD) defined at age 7 years and mental health difficulties at age 9 to 10 years.
We analyzed of prospectively collected data (N = 6902) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. "Probable" DCD was defined by using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision criteria as those children below the 15th centile of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children Coordination Test, with functional limitations in activities of daily living or handwriting, excluding children with neurologic difficulties or an IQ <70. Mental health was measured by using the child-reported Short Moods and Feelings Questionnaire and the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression models, with the use of multiple imputation to account for missing data, assessed the associations between probable DCD and mental health difficulties. Adjustments were made for environmental confounding factors, and potential mediating factors such as verbal IQ, associated developmental traits, bullying, self-esteem, and friendships.
Children with probable DCD (N = 346) had an increased odds of self-reported depression, odds ratio: 2.08 (95% confidence interval: 1.36-3.19) and parent-reported mental health difficulties odds ratio: 4.23 (95% confidence interval: 3.10-5.77). The odds of mental health difficulties significantly decreased after accounting for verbal IQ, social communication, bullying, and self-esteem.
Children with probable DCD had an increased risk of mental health difficulties that, in part, were mediated through associated developmental difficulties, low verbal IQ, poor self-esteem, and bullying. Prevention and treatment of mental health difficulties should be a key element of intervention for children with DCD.
OBJECTIVES: Previous research has revealed an important relationship between motor coordination difficulties and internalizing problems such as anxiety and depressive symptoms. However, further research is needed to understand the potential mediating factors in this relationship. The aim of the current study was to examine whether the association between motor coordination and emotional functioning is mediated by self-perceptions in a normative sample of adolescents.
METHODS: Participants included 93 adolescents aged 12 to 16 years. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children–2 provided 2 indicators of motor coordination; the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire and Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale provided 2 indicators of emotional functioning; and the Self-Description Questionnaire–II provided 6 indicators for self-perceived competence.
RESULTS: Structural equation modeling revealed that motor coordination affects emotional functioning via self-perceptions.
CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the relationship between motor coordination and emotional functioning in adolescents from a normative sample may be understood in terms of a mechanism by which motor coordination has an indirect impact on emotional outcomes through various self-perception domains. These findings have important implications for increasing awareness and developing appropriate treatment programs for motor coordination and emotional difficulties.
We examined the development of self-esteem in adolescence and young adulthood. Data came from the Young Adults section of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, which includes 8 assessments across a 14-year period of a national probability sample of 7,100 individuals age 14 to 30 years. Latent growth curve analyses indicated that self-esteem increases during adolescence and continues to increase more slowly in young adulthood. Women and men did not differ in their self-esteem trajectories. In adolescence, Hispanics had lower self-esteem than Blacks and Whites, but the self-esteem of Hispanics subsequently increased more strongly, so that at age 30 Blacks and Hispanics had higher self-esteem than Whites. At each age, emotionally stable, extraverted, and conscientious individuals experienced higher self-esteem than emotionally unstable, introverted, and less conscientious individuals. Moreover, at each age, high sense of mastery, low risk taking, and better health predicted higher self-esteem. Finally, the results suggest that normative increase in sense of mastery accounts for a large proportion of the normative increase in self-esteem.
Most research on adult attachment is based on the assumption that working models are relatively general and trait-like. Recent research, however, suggests that people develop attachment representations that are relationship-specific, leading people to hold distinct working models in different relationships. The authors report a measure, the Relationship Structures questionnaire of the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-RS; R. C. Fraley, N. G. Waller, & K. A. Brennan, 2000), that is designed to assess attachment dimensions in multiple contexts. Based on a sample of over 21,000 individuals studied online, it is shown that ECR-RS scores are reliable and have a structure similar to those produced by other measures. In Study 2 (N = 388), it is shown that relationship-specific measures of attachment generally predict intra- and interpersonal outcomes better than broader attachment measures but that broader measures predict personality traits better than relationship-specific measures. Moreover, it is demonstrated that differentiation in working models is not related to psychological outcomes independently of mean levels of security.
An integral aspect of occupational therapy practice is the facilitation of active participation in health-enhancing leisure for all individuals. Boys with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) are at risk of limited participation in recreational physical activities, which has implications for physical health associated with low energy expenditure. Therefore, identification of mechanisms influencing relationships between physical coordination ability and physical activity energy expenditure is warranted. Self-concept perceptions were investigated as potential mechanisms influencing energy expenditure during the out-of-school hours for boys with DCD. Participants were 60 boys with DCD and 113 boys without DCD between 10 and 13 years of age who were assessed by the Self-Description Questionnaire-I and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children. Parents completed 7-day diaries that were used to record intensity, duration, content, and social and physical context of leisure time activities. Boys with DCD were found to have lower mean scores than boys without DCD for energy expenditure and self-concept appraisals of physical ability and physical appearance, peer relations and parent relations, and general self-concepts. The peer relations self-concept was identified as a significant mechanism mediating the relationship between physical coordination ability and low energy expenditure. The clinical significance of the peer relations self-concept as a change mechanism influencing the negative relationship between physical coordination ability and sedentary behavior is discussed. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
This study uses longitudinal data to observe how life events, chronic life strains, self concepts, coping, and social supports come together to form a process of stress. It takes involuntary job disruptions as illustrating life events and shows how they adversely affect enduring role strains, economic strains in particular. These exacerbated strains, in turn, erode positive concepts of self, such as self-esteem and mastery. The diminished self-concepts then leave one especially vulnerable to experiencing symptoms of stress, of which depression is of special interest to this analysis. The interventions of coping and social supports are mainly indirect; that is, they do not act directly to buffer depression. Instead, they minimize the elevation of depression by dampening the antecedent process.
Three studies were conducted to validate the conceptualization of global self-esteem as consisting of two dimensions: a sense of social worth, or self-liking, and a sense of personal efficacy, or self-competence. In Study 1, confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the a priori structure of the Self-Liking/Self-Competence Scale, a self-report instrument designed to measure the two dimensions. In Study 2, a second structural analysis showed the dimensionality of Rosenberg's (1965) Self-Esteem Scale to parallel the proposed dichotomy. In Study 3, self-liking and self-competence were related to several theoretically linked constructs--depression, self-perceived abilities, and perceived parental approval--with the resulting pattern of correlations supporting their conceptualization as substantively distinct dimensions. The implications of these findings for understanding global self-esteem are discussed.
A 10-question screening scale of psychological distress and a six-question short-form scale embedded within the 10-question scale were developed for the redesigned US National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).
Initial pilot questions were administered in a US national mail survey (N = 1401). A reduced set of questions was subsequently administered in a US national telephone survey (N = 1574). The 10-question and six-question scales, which we refer to as the K10 and K6, were constructed from the reduced set of questions based on Item Response Theory models. The scales were subsequently validated in a two-stage clinical reappraisal survey (N = 1000 telephone screening interviews in the first stage followed by N = 153 face-to-face clinical interviews in the second stage that oversampled first-stage respondents who screened positive for emotional problems) in a local convenience sample. The second-stage sample was administered the screening scales along with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). The K6 was subsequently included in the 1997 (N = 36116) and 1998 (N = 32440) US National Health Interview Survey, while the K10 was included in the 1997 (N = 10641) Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being.
Both the K10 and K6 have good precision in the 90th-99th percentile range of the population distribution (standard errors of standardized scores in the range 0.20-0.25) as well as consistent psychometric properties across major sociodemographic subsamples. The scales strongly discriminate between community cases and non-cases of DSM-IV/SCID disorders, with areas under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.87-0.88 for disorders having Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores of 0-70 and 0.95-0.96 for disorders having GAF scores of 0-50.
The brevity, strong psychometric properties, and ability to discriminate DSM-IV cases from non-cases make the K10 and K6 attractive for use in general-purpose health surveys. The scales are already being used in annual government health surveys in the US and Canada as well as in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. Routine inclusion of either the K10 or K6 in clinical studies would create an important, and heretofore missing, crosswalk between community and clinical epidemiology.
Objectives: This study examined several underlying mechanisms hypothesized by the Environmental Stress Hypothesis (ESH) to explain the association between probable Developmental Coordination Disorder (pDCD) and internalizing problems. Design/Method: A cross-sectional analysis involving 1206 children aged 12-14 years (79 pDCD, 6.6% of the sample) was conducted. Children received assessments of motor coordination, physical activity, BMI, global self-worth, and internalizing problems. Path analysis was conducted to examine overall model fit and sex differences. Results: The results showed significant sex differences in the underlying pathways connecting pDCD to internalizing problems, indicating more mediating pathways through physical activity, BMI and global self-worth in girls, compared to boys. Conclusions: Overall, we were able to find support for some of the pathways identified in the ESH in school-aged children. Results also suggest that the development of interventions may need to be sex specific.
Background:
The elaborated environmental stress hypothesis (EESH) provides a framework that describes how motor skills may indirectly cause internalizing problems through various mediating psychosocial factors. While there is evidence to support this framework, little is known about how the proposed relationships may vary across different stages of development.
Aims:
This study aimed to investigate whether peer problems and perceived self-competence mediated the relationship between motor skills and internalizing problems in pre-primary children, and at 18-month follow up.
Sample:
A community sample of 197 pre-primary school children (M = 5.40 years, SD = 0.30 years; 102 males, 95 females) participated at Time 1, with 107 completing the Time 2 follow-up.
Methods:
Standardized instruments were used to measure motor skills and verbal IQ. Perceived self-competence was measured using a self-report measure. Participant peer problems and internalizing problems were measured using teacher report. Age, gender, and verbal IQ were included as covariates.
Results:
Mediation analysis using PROCESS showed that the relationship between motor skills and internalizing problems was mediated by peer problems at Time 1. At Time 2, the relationship was mediated by peer problems and perceived physical competence.
Conclusions:
The current results indicate the EESH may function differently across different periods of development. The transition from pre-primary to Grade 1 represents a time of important cognitive and psychosocial development, which has implications for how the relationship between motor skills and internalizing problems can be understood. These findings highlight potential age-appropriate targets for psychomotor interventions aiming to improve the emotional well-being of young children.
Growing evidence has highlighted the importance of motor proficiency in relation to psychosocial outcomes including self-perceived competence in various domains, perceived social support, and emotional areas such as anxiety and depression. The Environmental Stress Hypothesis-elaborated (Cairney, Rigoli, & Piek, 2013) is a proposed theoretical framework for understanding these relationships and recent studies have begun examining parts of this model using child and adolescent populations. However, the extent to which the relationships between these areas exist, persist or change during early adulthood is currently unclear. The current study aimed to investigate the Environmental Stress Hypothesis in a sample of 95 young adults aged 18–30 years and examined the mediating role of physical self-worth and perceived social support in the relationship between motor proficiency and internalising symptoms. The McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (McCarron, 1997) was used to assess motor proficiency, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) provided a measure of internalising symptoms, and the Physical Self Perceptions Profile (Fox & Corbin, 1989) and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & Farley, 1988) were used to investigate the possible mediating role of physical self-worth and perceived social support respectively. Potential confounding variables such as age, gender and BMI were also considered in the analysis. Structural Equation Modelling revealed that perceived social support mediated the relationship between motor proficiency and internalising symptoms, whereas, the mediating role of physical self-worth was non-significant. The current results provide support for part of the model pathways as described in the Environmental Stress Hypothesis and suggest an important relationship between motor proficiency and psychosocial outcomes in young adults. Specifically, the results support previous literature regarding the significant role of perceived social support for mental well-being and suggest that an intervention that considers social support may also indirectly influence mental health outcomes in young adults who experience movement difficulties.
Background:
Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) tend to be less active than typically-developing (TD) children. Current evidence, however, is based on cross-sectional and self-reported activity, and little is known about sedentary time among children with significant movement impairments such as DCD. The current study examines the longitudinal patterns of objectively measured physical activity and sedentary time in children with and without possible DCD (pDCD).
Methods:
Data is from a longitudinal nested case-control study, with 103 participants (n=60 males ages=12 and 13 at baseline). Participants averaging ⩽16th percentile on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children were considered having significant movement impairments and pDCD (n=49). All participants wore accelerometers for seven days.
Results:
There were significant main effects for time (Estimate=-23.98, p<.01) and gender (Estimate=59.86, p<.05) on total physical activity, and time spent being sedentary (Estimate=15.58, p<.05). Significant main effects for pDCD (Estimate=-5.38, p<.05) and gender (Estimate=26.89, p<.01), and time by gender interaction (Estimate=-7.50, p<.05) were found for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Sedentary time did not differ between children with and without DCD.
Conclusions:
Results suggest children with pDCD engaged in less MVPA compared to TD children. Consistent patterns of MVPA over time, however, suggest that the divergence in MVPA occurs earlier in childhood. Further longitudinal research following a younger cohort is necessary to identify the specific point that differences in MVPA emerge.
Adolescents with low motor competence have diminished perceptions of their physical self and tend to avoid physical activities. This study examined the outcomes of an exercise intervention that focused on improving aerobic fitness, strength, and self-perceptions in the physical domain in adolescents with poor motor coordination. The sample included 35 adolescents with low motor competence, comprising boys (n=25) and girls (n=10) ranging in age from 13 to 17years, who attended two sessions per week in the 13week exercise intervention study (AMP it up). Physical self-perceptions were measured before and after the intervention using the Physical Self Perception Profile and Perceived Importance Profile. Significant improvements in perceived Physical Condition, Attractive Body and Physical Strength sub domain scores were identified between pre and post-test. Adjusting for age, gender, BMI and attendance, regression analyses revealed that Attractive Body was the strongest predictor of Physical Self Worth at pre-test, joined by Physical Condition at post-test. This exercise intervention had a positive impact on adolescent physical self-perceptions, in particular males, with improvements in those sub domains specifically related to the exercise program. Changes in specific aspects of Physical Self Worth can be facilitated by exercise interventions, after a relatively short period of time, in adolescents with poor motor coordination.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a common, neurodevelopmental disorder of children that results in significant impairment in everyday activities of living. Over the past two decades, a large body of work has documented associations between DCD, physical inactivity, and poor health-related fitness. The exact nature of these relations, however, has been relatively little studied. In this paper, we ask whether the balance of evidence supports the proposition that DCD is a fundamental cause of inactivity and poor fitness. To address this question, we apply Hill's criteria for causation. We conclude that the evidence is consistent with, and reasonably supportive of, this proposition, but does not exclude alternative explanations.
Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a chronic disability that impacts children's performance of everyday motor-based activities and is associated with the development of secondary social and mental health problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate peer victimization and depression in children who were and were not at risk for DCD. Selected from a population-based sample, 159 at-risk fifth graders were matched for age and gender to 159 controls. Children completed measures of depression and frequency of peer victimization. Results showed that children at risk for DCD reported more symptoms of depression and more frequent verbal and relational victimization than their peers. Being at risk for DCD and being bullied more frequently, especially relationally, significantly predicted increased depression symptoms. Findings highlight the importance of school psychologists remaining aware that children with DCD are at increased risk of experiencing bullying and depression. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
This study explored whether or not a population-based sample of children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), with and without comorbid attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), experienced higher levels of psychological distress than their peers. A two-stage procedure was used to identify 244 children: 68 with DCD only, 54 with ADHD only, 31 with comorbid DCD and ADHD, and 91 randomly selected typically developing (TD) children. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were measured by child and parent report. Child sex and caregiver ethnicity differed across groups, with a higher ratio of boys to girls in the ADHD only group and a slightly higher proportion of non-Caucasian caregivers in the TD group. After controlling for age, sex, and caregiver ethnicity, there was significant variation across groups in both anxiety (by parent report, F(3,235) = 8.9, p < 0.001; by child report, F(3,236) = 5.6, p = 0.001) and depression (parent report, F(3,236) = 23.7, p < 0.001; child report, F(3,238) = 9.9, p < 0.001). In general, children in all three disorder groups had significantly higher levels of symptoms than TD children, but most pairwise differences among those three groups were not significant. The one exception was the higher level of depressive symptoms noted by parent report in the ADHD/DCD group. In conclusion, children identified on the basis of motor coordination problems through a population-based screen showed significantly more symptoms of depression and anxiety than typically developing children. Children who have both DCD and ADHD are particularly at heightened risk of psychological distress.
There is a growing literature connecting poor motor coordination to physical and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents. These studies suggest that children with disorders such as developmental coordination disorder (DCD) are at greater risk for depression and anxiety, as well as obesity, and poor physical fitness. With regard to internalizing problems (symptoms of depression and anxiety), there is also evidence to suggest that the environment may play an important role in the etiology of psychological distress in this population. Cairney, Veldhuizen, & Szatmari, 2010 used the phrase “environmental stress hypothesis” to highlight the role that negative exposure to personal and interpersonal stressors might play in accounting for higher rates of internalizing symptoms in children with DCD. In this paper, we elaborate further on this basic premise, offering a model linking DCD to internalizing problems based on Pearlin’s stress process framework. In addition to stressors (risk) and protective factors, we incorporate both physical activity and obesity into our stress model. Next, we review the existing literature to see if there is evidence supporting specific components (pathways) of the model. In doing so, areas in need of further research are identified. Implications for intervention are also provided.
Adolescence is a transitional life phase that is associated with heightened risk for two major health conditions - obesity and mental health problems. Given the established comorbidity of obesity and depression, one avenue that warrants further exploration is the association between obesogenic risk and obesity in the expression and maintenance of depressive symptoms. The aim of the current systematic review was to identify and evaluate the empirical literature reporting the relationships between obesogenic risk factors (physical activity, sedentary behaviour, diet and weight status) and depression in adolescents. A search of five databases for studies published over the last decade found 24 studies eligible for review. Relationships were found between lack of physical exercise, heightened sedentary behaviour, poor diet quality, obese or overweight and depression in adolescence. However, the finding that obesogenic risk factors are associated with poor adolescent mental health should be interpreted with caution as data typically come from non-representative samples with less than optimal study design and methodology.
Background:
Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) affects up to 6% of the population and is diagnosed on the basis of poor motor coordination. While we know rather little about its lifetime consequences, clear and significant difficulties remain through the lifespan for the majority. Reduced physical activity and, outside of the motor domain, significant mental health issues exist for many with DCD.
Aims:
This study provides the first investigation of the presence of mood disorders in adults with DCD.
Method:
Symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed using the Beck Depression and Spielberger Anxiety Inventories in 36 adults previously diagnosed with DCD vs. 49 age- and gender-matched typical controls. Amount and type of physical activity undertaken each week were also reported.
Results:
After controlling for their reduced level of weekly physical activity, the group with DCD reported significantly more symptoms of depression, state and trait anxiety than their peers.
Conclusions:
This finding has important implications for consideration of intervention in DCD, as well as for investigation of the risk and protective factors at play in long-term outcome. Finally, the findings highlight the need for awareness of motor difficulties in those presenting with high levels of anxiety and depression, and vice versa.
Measurement invariance is usually tested using Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis, which examines the change in the goodness-of-fit index (GFI) when cross-group constraints are imposed on a measurement model. Although many studies have examined the properties of GFI as indicators of overall model fit for single-group data, there have been none to date that examine how GFIs change when between-group constraints are added to a measurement model. The lack of a consensus about what constitutes significant GFI differences places limits on measurement invariance testing. We examine 20 GFIs based on the minimum fit function. A simulation under the two-group situation was used to examine changes in the GFIs (ΔGFIs) when invariance constraints were added. Based on the results, we recommend using Δcomparative fit index, ΔGamma hat, and ΔMcDonald's Noncentrality Index to evaluate measurement invariance. These three ΔGFIs are independent of both model complexity and sample size, and are not correlated with the overall fit measures. We propose critical values of these ΔGFIs that indicate measurement invariance.
Selected research on the learning and performance of physical skills from a knowledge-based perspective provides the introduction for a discussion of the importance of practice in the developmental skill learning process. Recent evidence on the activity deficit hypothesis as well as knowledge-base differences as they relate to children with movement difficulties in physical activity settings provides the basis from which to present the developmental skill-learning gap hypothesis, which contends that as children with movement difficulties grow older, the skill-learning gap between them and their more physically proficient peers widens across instructional, practice, and competitive settings. Implications and suggestions for the learning and instruction of children with movement difficulties conclude the paper. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Few studies have looked at the strengths and weaknesses and needs of students with developmenal co-ordination disorder (DCD). This paper describes a cohort of 93 UK students currently studying at further or higher education and who have reported motor difficulties present since childhood. The study group consisted of 21 reporting to have DCD only, 38 with DCD plus another diagnosis (a combination of any of the following: dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), learning difficulties); 23 subjects reporting dyslexia only, and 11 students who have not been formally diagnosed.
The aim of this study was to first ascertain the similarities and differences between the students in the type of support received in childhood and while at university. The second goal was to examine the reported strengths and difficulties and see how they vary for each subgroup.
The DCD group reported higher levels of motor-related difficulties such as handwriting and also executive functioning difficulties. They also had higher levels of professional support given in childhood and were also more likely to be living at home with parents compared with the dyslexia group. Despite different types of difficulties reported in the DCD group, the range of student support given across all groups was similar. Significantly more of the dyslexia group were reported to be in receipt of disability student allowance than the DCD group. The DCD and other disorders group were seen to be an intermediary group in most of the areas studied.
Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) affects around 5% of the population and is diagnosed on the basis of poor motor
coordination. Although we know rather little about the lifetime consequences of this disorder, it is clear that significant
difficulties remain through adolescence and into adulthood for the majority. It is also clear that significant psychosocial
consequences exist for many individuals with DCD. In the current study, quality of life satisfaction was investigated in a
group of emerging adults with and without DCD using the Quality of Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (Endicott et al. Psychopharmacology
Bulletin, 29, 321–326, 1993). Overall, the group of adults with DCD reported significantly lower levels of quality of life satisfaction across all domains
on the scale. This finding has important implications for consideration of early and later intervention for these individuals,
as well as for studies to consider the risk and protective factors at play in long-term outcome with respect to both the motor
skills and psychosocial aspects of this disorder.
KeywordsDevelopmental coordination disorder–Quality of life satisfaction–Emerging adulthood–Lifespan
To synthesise reviews investigating physical activity and depression, anxiety, self-esteem and cognitive functioning in children and adolescents and to assess the association between sedentary behaviour and mental health by performing a brief review.
Searches were performed in 2010. Inclusion criteria specified review articles reporting chronic physical activity and at least one mental health outcome that included depression, anxiety/stress, self-esteem and cognitive functioning in children or adolescents.
Four review articles reported evidence concerning depression, four for anxiety, three for self-esteem and seven for cognitive functioning. Nine primary studies assessed associations between sedentary behaviour and mental health. Physical activity has potentially beneficial effects for reduced depression, but the evidence base is limited. Intervention designs are low in quality, and many reviews include cross-sectional studies. Physical activity interventions have been shown to have a small beneficial effect for reduced anxiety, but the evidence base is limited. Physical activity can lead to improvements in self-esteem, at least in the short term. However, there is a paucity of good quality research. Reviews on physical activity and cognitive functioning have provided evidence that routine physical activity can be associated with improved cognitive performance and academic achievement, but these associations are usually small and inconsistent. Primary studies showed consistent negative associations between mental health and sedentary behaviour.
Association between physical activity and mental health in young people is evident, but research designs are often weak and effects are small to moderate. Evidence shows small but consistent associations between sedentary screen time and poorer mental health.
Research has identified a relationship between social-emotional problems and motor impairment in both pre-school and school-age children. The aim of the current study was to determine how motor performance in infancy and early childhood is related to levels of anxious and depressive symptomatology at age 6-12 years. Fifty participants were assessed by their parents 11 times between the ages of 4 months and 4 years using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), and once between the age of 6 and 12 years using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). The ASQ scores were used to obtain the stability (variance) of fine and gross motor performance. Once gestational age, sex and age of testing were taken into account, the stability of gross motor scores predicted both the anxiety/depression measure and the anxious score from the CBCL. It appears that how variable a young child's gross motor development is from 4 months to 4 years predicts the level of anxious/depressive symptoms at school age. These findings may assist in the early identification of children at risk of anxiety disorders and depression at school age.
Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD), also known as Dyspraxia in the United Kingdom (U.K.), is a developmental disorder affecting motor co-ordination. In the past this was regarded as a childhood disorder, however there is increasing evidence that a significant number of children will continue to have persistent difficulties into adulthood. Despite this, there remains little information as to how the difficulties might present at this stage, and additionally the impact on every day functioning. As young people move into further and higher education there is a need for screening and assessment tools. Such tools allow for identification of these difficulties, access to support, and clarification of areas where appropriate support needs to be targeted. This paper describes the first adult screening tool for DCD. The development and the results from testing this tool in two countries, Israel and the U.K. are outlined and the implications for its use in further and higher education discussed.
The question of whether problems of motor co-ordination in early childhood recede with age has rarely been addressed. This paper reports the findings from a follow-up study of 17 children, identified by their teachers as having poor motor co-ordination at age six. Now age 16, these children and their matched controls completed a battery of assessments. The results suggest that the majority of children still have difficulties with motor co-ordination, have poor self-concept and are experiencing problems of various kinds in school. However, there are individual differences in the extent to which the children have learned to cope with their continuing difficulties over the years.
This paper presents a critical overview of current concepts and analytic practices in stress research and considers how they can be changed to make the research more consistent with core sociological interests. An overarching concern of the paper is the analytic use of basic information about people's social and institutional affiliations and statuses. It is important that such information be treated not simply as data that need to be controlled statistically; we must examine the bearing of these data on each domain of the stress process: the exposure to and meaning of stressors, access to stress mediators, and the psychological, physical, and behavioral manifestations of stress. The conceptualization and measurement of stressors should move away from their focus on particular events or chronic strains and should seek instead to observe and assess over time constellations of stressors made up of both events and strains. Moreover, the effects of the mediators--coping and social support--are evaluated most fruitfully in terms of their effects in limiting the number, severity, and diffusion of stressors in these constellations. Finally, sociological stress researchers should not be bound to outcomes that better serve the intellectual interests of those who work with biomedical and epidemiological models of stress, nor should the research be committed exclusively to a single outcome.
There is a need for controlled longitudinal studies in the field of attention disorders in the general population.
In a community-based follow-up study, 55 of 61 subjects aged 22 years, who had attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with and without comorbid developmental coordination disorder (DCD) at initial workup at age 7 years, were compared, on a multitude of outcome variables, with 46 of 51 age-matched subjects without such diagnoses. None of the subjects had received stimulant treatment. Psychiatrists performing the follow-up study were blind to original diagnostic group status.
In the ADHD/DCD group 58% had a poor outcome compared with 13% in the comparison group (p < .001). Remaining symptoms of ADHD, antisocial personality disorder, alcohol abuse, criminal offending, reading disorders, and low educational level were overrepresented in the ADHD/DCD groups. The combination of ADHD and DCD appeared to carry a particularly gloomy outlook.
Childhood ADHD and DCD appears to be a most important predictor of poor psychosocial functioning in early adulthood. It would seem appropriate to screen for such disorders in schools and clinics so that therapies may be started early.
Utilising Harter's theory of competence motivation (Harter, S. The determinants and mediational role of global self-worth in children. In: N. Eisenberg, Contemporary topics in developmental psychology, Wiley, New York, 1987, pp. 219-242.), the current study examined perceived competence and social support, and their influence on self-worth and anxiety in children and adolescents with and without developmental coordination disorder (DCD). A group of children aged 8-10 years, and a group of adolescents aged 12-14 years, with significant movement problems were compared with matched control groups on measures of perceived competence, perceived social support, self-worth and anxiety. Those with DCD were found to perceive themselves as less competent in several domains, and having less social support than control participants. Overall, DCD groups had lower self-worth and higher levels of anxiety than the control groups. Adolescents also perceived themselves as less competent with poorer social support and lower self-worth than younger children. In addition, anxiety was significantly higher for the adolescent group compared to their younger counterparts.
Neurodevelopmental impairments have been associated with early-onset schizophrenia, early-onset bipolar disorder, and childhood-onset affective disorder. The authors investigated whether delayed childhood motor skills predicted persistent anxiety in adolescence among 6,850 subjects from a national 1958 U.K. birth cohort.
This historic cohort study used data from the National Child Development Study that was collected when its subjects were 7, 11, and 16 years old.
Boys with poor motor skills had more than threefold the odds of maternally rated anxiety at the ages of 11 and 16, but no effect was observed for girls.
Childhood motor impairment was strongly associated with persistent anxiety among male, but not among female, adolescents. The effect modification by sex was greater than expected, as was the effect size for boys. Both findings warrant replication and further examination.