The importance of physical activity for the development of motor skills of younger school age children

Abstract

Physical activity plays an important role in the motor and psychological development in a pediatric population. The maturation of human motor skills is gradual over the time. It depends on several factors, including but not limited to: individual differences, health condition, quality of neuromuscular structures and stimulating factors. Research included in this review shows that different types of physical activity, including aerobic training, strength training, dance, yoga, and walking programs, improve mood and mental health. Aerobic physical activity has the greatest effect on reducing the symptoms of anxiety and stress. Habits related to the physical activity, acquired in childhood, can be maintained in adulthood, which contributes to the better health and quality of life. Extensive literature indicates that regular physical activity encourages growth and development and has multiple benefits for the mental, physical, cognitive and psychosocial health of children. Children capacities for exercise change in accordance within defined developmental periods. Young children are active at short intervals and their capacity for continuous activity increases as they grow and mature. The health benefits of sporadic exercise at a younger age are not well established, stressing the short-term benefits of physical activity for some aspects of cognitive and mental health, indicating that maximum benefit can be achieved by frequent bouts of exercise during the day.

Full text

Medicinski
podmladak
Mini review article
Medical
Youth
Bukvić Z. et al. MedPodml 2021, 72(2):34-39 doi:10.5937/mp72-31878
© Editorial board: podmladak.med.bg@gmail.com
e authors declare no conicts of interest.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF MOTOR SKILLS OF YOUNGER SCHOOL AGE
CHILDREN
ZNAČAJ FIZIČKE AKTIVNOSTI ZA RAZVOJ MOTORIČKIH
VEŠTINA DECE MLAĐEG ŠKOLSKOG UZRASTA
Zorana Bukvić1, Dragana Ćirović1,2, Dejan Nikolić1,2
1 Medicinski fakultet, Univerzitet u Beogradu, Beograd, Srbija
2 Univerzitetska dečja klinika Tiršova, Beograd, Srbija
Correspondence: zorana_bukvic@yahoo.com
Abstract
Physical activity plays an important role in the motor and psychological development in a
pediatric population. The maturation of human motor skills is gradual over the time. It de-
pends on several factors, including but not limited to: individual differences, health condition,
quality of neuromuscular structures and stimulating factors.
Research included in this review shows that different types of physical activity, including aero-
bic training, strength training, dance, yoga, and walking programs, improve mood and mental
health. Aerobic physical activity has the greatest effect on reducing the symptoms of anxiety
and stress. Habits related to the physical activity, acquired in childhood, can be maintained
in adulthood, which contributes to the better health and quality of life. Extensive literature
indicates that regular physical activity encourages growth and development and has multiple
benefits for the mental, physical, cognitive and psychosocial health of children.
Children capacities for exercise change in accordance within defined developmental periods.
Young children are active at short intervals and their capacity for continuous activity increases
as they grow and mature. The health benefits of sporadic exercise at a younger age are not well
established, stressing the short-term benefits of physical activity for some aspects of cognitive
and mental health, indicating that maximum benefit can be achieved by frequent bouts of
exercise during the day.
Keywords:
physical activity,
children,
younger school age,
motor skills,
children’s development

Medicinski podmladak / Medical Youth
35
Bukvić Z. et al.e Importance of Physical Activity for the Development of Motor Skills of Younger School Age Children. MedPodml
2021, 72(2):34-39
Fizička aktivnost ima veoma važnu ulogu u razvoju motoričkih sposobnosti i psihološ-
kom razvoju svakog deteta. Razvoj motoričkih sposobnosti čoveka odvija se postepeno
i fazno i zavisi od više faktora, a neki od najznačajnih su individualne razlike, zdrav-
stveno stanje, kvalitet nervno-mišićnih struktura i podsticajno stimulativni faktori.
Istraživanja uključena u ovaj pregledni rad pokazuju da različite vrste fizičke aktivno-
sti, uključujući aerobni trening, trening snage, ples, jogu i programe hodanja, poboljša-
vaju raspoloženje i utiču na poboljšanje mentalnog zdravlja. Aerobna fizička aktivnost
najviše utiče na smanjenje simptoma anksioznosti i stresa. Navike vezane za fizičku
aktivnost, stečene u detinjstvu, mogu se zadržati i u odraslom dobu, što doprinosi boljem
zdravlju i kvalitetu života. Opsežna literatura ukazuje na to da redovna fizička aktivnost
podstiče rast i razvoj i ima višestruku korist za mentalno, fizičko, kognitivno i psihosoci-
jalno zdravlje dece.
Kapaciteti dece za vežbanje menjaju se u skladu sa razvojnim periodima. Mala deca su
aktivna u kratkim intervalima i njihov kapacitet za neprekidne aktivnosti se povećava
kako rastu i sazrevaju. Zdravstvene koristi sporadičnog vežbanja u mlađem uzrastu nisu
jasno utvrđene, ali jesu kratkoročne koristi fizičke aktivnosti za neke aspekte kognitivnog
i mentalnog zdravlja, koje ukazuju na to da se maksimalna korist može postići čestim
naletima vežbanja tokom dana.
Introduction
Proper development of motor skills is considered
important for the physical, social and psychological chi-
ldren development. There is an evidence of numerous
health benefits that can be achieved by improving mo-
tor skills. It has been shown that well-developed motor
skills affect cardiorespiratory readiness (1, 2) and body
weight (1,3,4,5), which indicates the fact that the timely
development of motor skills can have important heal-
th benefits. There are some indications that over time
(6), the level of motor skills remains stable, and deficits
in motor development observed in early childhood are
also visible in adolescence (7), which highlights the
preschool period as particularly important for the deve-
lopment of motor skills.Early childhood is an age peri-
od in which the development of basic movement skills
is necessary to create a foundation for more complex
movement activities in everyday life and physical exer-
cise in later childhood (8). There are indications of the
connection between motor development and language
development (9-13), executive function (14) and gene-
ral well-being (15).
A group of scientists from Minnesota investigated
the impact of physical exercise on the development of
motor skills of children aged 6 - 12 years and came to the
conclusion that increased physical activity has positive
effects on the development of motor skills in children.
Additionally, studies included in this meta-analysis
showed that prolonged duration and frequency of physi-
cal activity did not have any detrimental effects on the
development of motor skills in children (16).
Most existing studies include only short-term
follow-up, so there is a real need for more longitudinal
studies on the importance of motor skills with long-
term follow-up, including physical and psychological
outcomes.
The human motor skills development
The development of the motoric movements, loco-
motion and statics (balance of the body at rest) take place
in a certain order. The human motor skills development
occurs in stages, and each stage has its own characteristics.
The factors that have the greatest impact on the develop-
ment and improvement of movement in a pediatric po-
pulation are maturation and learning. Solely maturation
is not sufficient for motor skills development and impro-
vement, thus, it is advised to make a planned and directed
impact with physical exercise for the purpose of creating
the possibilities for learning and practicing motor skills
(17). Maturation is a physiological process, and learning
signifies the child’s cooperation with the environment,
allowing improvementof movement habits by repeating
techniques (18). It is very important to align learning with
maturation. If a child is not mature enough, attempts to
learn new skills may be unsuccessful. Thus, learning can
only begin when the child is mature enough. On the other
hand, if the child is mature and capable of mastering new
motor habits, but not given the opportunity to exercise,
developmental delays in various degrees could occure.
The central nervous system (CNS) plays the most impor-
tant role in learning movement, and with the repeating
of ones, both the nervous system and conditioned reflex
actions develop. This way, the experience as well as lear-
ning can be defined as a conscious process of acquiring
knowledge and skills that is most often achieved through
repetition (19, 20). The process of learning motor skills,
unlike the process of learning verbal content and the pro-
cess of problem solving, is characterized by specific laws.
It is relatively independent and autonomous process that
differs from other forms of learning.
According to Piaget (21), for the proper cogniti-
ve development of children, it is necessary for them to
discover their environment through movement. In early
Sažetak
Ključne reči:
zička aktivnost,
deca,
mlađi školski
uzrast,
motorne veštine,
razvoj dece

Medicinski podmladak / Medical Youth
Bukvić Z. et al. e Importance of Physical Activity for the Development of Motor Skills of Younger School Age Children. MedPodml
2021, 72(2):34-39
36
childhood, they learn about their surroundings through
motor activities such as crawling, walking, jumping and
running. According to Gelahju and Ozmun (22), basic
motor skills as fundamental movements begin to develop
at the same time when the child is able to walk indepen-
dently and to move freely in space.
Types of motor skills and their characteristics
At Basic characteristics of motor skills according to
Welford (23) are:
- Stably built and coordinated activities in relation
to the goal or situation, in which the entire chain of motor,
sensory and central mechanisms is involved;
- Learned in accordance with proposed aims in the
form of activities that are gradually built by repetition;
- They represent a series of different actions or pro-
cesses that are aligned in time sequences.
If it is necessary to distinguish between more ski-
lled and less skilled performers of certain motor skills, it
is necessaryto know the three important properties of pra-
cticed behavior in relation to which the assessment would
be performed. These properties that are defined by E.R.
Guthrie (24) are the following: “Skill consists in the abi-
lity to achieve some end result with maximum certainty
and minimum consumption of energy, or time and energy”
(25). Thus, the three essential properties of practiced be-
havior imply maximum confidence in achieving the goal,
minimum energy expended, and minimum time to per-
form the skill.
According to Nicin (26), motor skills represent lear-
ned, acquired movements, as well as those that are gene-
tically inherited in the central nervous system, and imply
natural forms of movement (walking, running, jumping,
throwing, climbing, etc.). Abernet et al., define motor skills
development as changes in the performance of motor ski-
lls over time and processes that emphasize these changes
(27). Physical development and experience in mastering
various motor tasks contribute to the adoption of proper
motor movements (28).
Basic motor skills are divided into three categories (29):
- locomotor skills - walking, running, jumping;
- non-manipulative skills - turning, skipping, step-
ping, sideways movement; and
- manipulative skills (manipulation of a certain
object) - shooting, throwing, catching, guiding, pushing,
pulling.
Physical activity: through play towards education
Up to nine years of life (preschool and younger
school age), the development of motor skills intensifies
(30 - 32). It is influenced by several factors, among which
the most dominant role is played by physical growth and
development, physical activity, socioeconomic status and
hereditary traits (33).
In the process of acquiring new motor skills, the
goal is to master each new movement so the action is less
controlled by the will, thus in the end, it is performed wit-
hout the participation of the cerebral cortex. The number
of repetitions of a movement or movement pattern used to
create a motor habit is different and depends on age, pre-
vious experience, methodical procedure, motivation, con-
centration, initial level of motor skills and the complexity
of the movement being learned (26, 34). Acquiring motor
habits is a continuous, long-term and multi-year process
(30). During this period, the child should not participate
in competitive activities, so that the focus is completely on
performing the exercise correctly. Motor and skill compe-
tencies in a child depend on other children acceptance and
inclusionof the one in joint activities (31). Basic motor ski-
lls are the basis for developing movements that are specific
to sports games, dance and various recreational activities
(35). A study by Brant et al. (36) showed that the activity
in adulthood depends on the experience gained in mobile
games during childhood. Through play, the child learns
and exercises new movements, along with acquiring ones
own possibilities and limits. By learning new movements,
motor skills and motor abilities are developed.
Physical education is a complex educational proce-
ss that institutionally lasts from preschool to schooling in
higher education institutions (37). There is a lot of rese-
arch that talks about the importance of organized physi-
cal activities on children’s development (22, 28, 31, 35). It
should be emphasized that the impact of physical exercise
on children’s development depends on the intensity, scope,
duration and form of activities.
Physical activity and motor skills relationship
ReIt was stated previously that children who do
not acquire fundamental motor skills by the time they
start school will later have a problem engaging in physi-
cal activities (38, 39). Children who are not skilled eno-
ugh will not be as physically active as their peers, whi-
ch can affect the occurrence of obesity in this group
(39,40). Lubans et al. (41) examined the impact of mo-
tor skills on health, and the obtained results show that
basic motor skills are in a positive relationship with a
self-confidence, physical activity, and cardiorespiratory
condition in a younger school-age children, as well as in
the adolescents. The links between physical activity and
motor skills are dynamic (42). With the development
of motor skills, the engagement of children in physi-
cal activities increases, and more active participation
in physical exercise contributes to the improvement of
motor skills. A moderate and low correlation between
the levels of motor competencies and physical activities
was found in preschool children (42) and younger scho-
ol age respectively (43, 44), meaning that the children at
this age have a tendency to participate in physical exer-
cise regardless of the level of mastered skills. In contrast,
older children who are aware that they are insufficiently
skilled in a relation to their peers, tend to avoid physical
activities, so as not to publicly display their insufficient
motor competence
.

Medicinski podmladak / Medical Youth
37
Bukvić Z. et al.e Importance of Physical Activity for the Development of Motor Skills of Younger School Age Children. MedPodml
2021, 72(2):34-39
Physical activity overall benefit
Physical activity also has a positive effect on the
psychological health. A large number of research has been
done on the topic of the influence of regular physical acti-
vity on the psychological status of children and adoles-
cents (31 - 33). Positive associations were found between
physical activity, self-efficacy, and self-confidence (45), as
well as social behavior, motivation, and friendship (46, 47).
Younger school-age children, as well as adolescents, tend
to be accepted by their peers. Those who are motor-skilled,
handy, agile, and can run fast are more popular among the
children of younger school age (48). Along with the imrove-
ment of their abilities among peers, the ego increases in all
dimensions of quality of life (49, 50). Children with acqui-
red skills feel more comfortable when performing physical
activities and they have affection to exercise, which con-
tributes to better health, general mood, and better relati-
onships with family and friends. Previous reports confirm
that children who are physically active, are mentally more
stable than the inactive ones (31, 32, 46). Globally, about
15% of children have some mental illness (51, 52), and in
America, 20% of school children are diagnosed with depre-
ssion, anxiety and other mental disorders (53). According
to some research, children who suffer from mental disor-
ders most often have problems with both body weight
(53 - 55) and school success (55, 56). Physical activity has a
positive effect on a mental health and emotional stability
in both children and adults (57, 58), and, if applied regular-
ly, it can have long-term positive effects on mental health.
Insufficient physical activity adversely affects mood and
mental function. In a study by Petty et al. (59) the results
showed that children aged 7 – 11 years who performed a
40-minute daily exercise program had reduced symptoms
of depression and greater self-confidence compared to the
control group. Regular exercise increases the stimulation
of the production of endorphins, which act on the CNS,
so that the person is feeling calm and good mood after the
activity (60). Previous reports stated that, children who
are more physically active have better physical and mental
health and social functioning (61). It was also stated that
children who are more active show signs of better school
success. There is a growing body of research examining
the link between physical exercise and intellectual abilities.
Namely, a group of Japanese (62) scientists explained the
influence of physical activity on the blood flow in the brain
and on the improvement of the work of neurotransmitters
that affect cognitive abilities.
Recent research indicates the effect of physical exer-
cise, which secretes a hormone called irisin, serves as a me-
mory regulator (63). Bruce Spiegelman, a cytologist from
the Boston Institute, is responsible for the discovery of this
hormone (63).
Conclusion
Summarizing the researched aspects of the influen-
ce of physical activity on the development of motor skills
of children of younger school age, several conclusions can
be reported. Physical activity of children of younger school
age is a recommended category for optimal acquisition of
motor skills, which affects the proper growth and develop-
ment of the child. No negative effects of physical activity
have been determined if the content of the activity is adju-
sted to the characteristics of age and dosed according to
the volume and intensity of the load, in accordance with
the age of the child and his individual abilities. In the first
eight years of life, motor skills develop the most, and in
that period it is desirable for children to organize games in
which the natural forms of movement are dominant - wal-
king, running, jumping, throwing, catching, and climbing.
During these activities, the child learns how to coordinate
and control his body, using the information he receives
from his environment. By exercising regularly, the child
becomes more agile, stronger, faster and more endurable
every day. Physical activity is the basic psychomotor activi-
ty of school-age children, and the degree of health and mo-
tor maturity of future generations depends on the preva-
lence and frequency of physical exercise through the edu-
cational process.
Literature
1. Lubans DR, Morgan PJ, Cliff DP, Barnett LM, Okely AD.
Fundamental movement skills in children and adolescents.
Sports medicine. 2010; 40(12):1019-35.
2. Okely AD, Booth ML, Patterson JW. Relationship of physi-
cal activity to fundamental movement skills among adoles-
cents. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2001;
33(11):1899-904.
3. Morano M, Colella D, Caroli M. Gross motor skill performance
in a sample of overweight and non-overweight preschool chil-
dren. International Journal of Pediatric Obesity. 2011; 6(S2):42-6.
4. D’Hondt V, Deforche B, Vaeyens R, Vandorpe B, Vandendriessche
J, Pion J et al. Gross motor coordination in relation to weight
status and age in 5-to 12-year-old boys and girls: a cross-se-
ctional study. International journal of pediatric obesity. 2011;
6(sup3):e556-564.
5. Krombholz H. Motor and cognitive performance of overwe-
ight preschool children. Perceptual and motor skills. 2013;
116(1):40-57.
6. Branta C, Haubenstricker JO, Seefeldt V. Age changes in motor
skills during childhood and adolescence. Exercise and sport
sciences reviews. 1984; 12:467-520.
7. Cantell MH, Smyth MM, Ahonen TP. Clumsiness in adolescence:
Educational, motor, and social outcomes of motor delay detected
at 5 years. Adapted physical activity quarterly. 1994; 11(2):115-29.
8. Goodway JD, Ozmun JC, Gallahue DL. Understanding motor de-
velopment: Infants, children, adolescents, adults. Jones & Bartlett
Learning. 2019.
9. Vukovic M, Vukovic I, Stojanovik V. Investigation of language
and motor skills in Serbian speaking children with specific lan-
guage impairment and in typically developing children. Research
in developmental disabilities. 2010; 31(6):1633-44.
10. Viholainen H, Ahonen T, Lyytinen P, Cantell M, LicSSc AT,
Lyytinen H. Early motor development and later language and re-
ading skills in children at risk of familial dyslexia. Developmental
Medicine & Child Neurology. 2006; 48(5):367-73.
11. Webster RI, Majnemer A, Platt RW, Shevell MI. Motor function
at school age in children with a preschool diagnosis of develop-
mental language impairment. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2005;
146(1):80-5.
12. Iverson JM, Braddock BA. Gesture and motor skill in relation
to language in children with language impairment. Journal of

Medicinski podmladak / Medical Youth
Bukvić Z. et al. e Importance of Physical Activity for the Development of Motor Skills of Younger School Age Children. MedPodml
2021, 72(2):34-39
38
Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 2011; 54(1):72-86.
13. Van der Leij A, Van Bergen E, van Zuijen T, De Jong P, Maurits
N, Maassen B. Precursors of developmental dyslexia: an overview
of the longitudinal Dutch dyslexia programme study. Dyslexia.
2013; 19(4):191-213.
14. Diamond A, Lee K. Interventions shown to aid executive fun-
ction development in children 4 to 12 years old. Science. 2011;
333(6045):959-64.
15. Viholainen H, Aro T, Purtsi J, Tolvanen A, Cantell M. Adolescents’
school-related self-concept mediates motor skills and psychoso-
cial well-being. British Journal of Educational Psychology. 2014;
84(2):268-80.
16. McDonough DJ, Liu W, Gao Z. Effects of Physical Activity on
Children’s Motor Skill Development: A Systematic Review of
Randomized Controlled Trials. BioMed Research International.
2020; 2020.
17. Miklankova L. Cognitive competence of a child in primary scho-
ol age in the context of gross motor skills. International E-Journal
of Advances in Education. 2019; 5.14:346-356.
18. Davies D, Troj F. Child development: a practitioner’s Guide. 4th
ed. New York: The Guilford Press; 2020.
19. Barnett LM, Stodden D, Cohen KE, Smith JJ, Lubans DR, Lenoir
M et al. Fundamental movement skills: An important focus.
Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 2016; 35(3):219-25.
20. Gadžić A, Milojević A, Vučković I. Influence of certain socio-de-
mographic factors on the relationships between motor and co-
gnitive abilities of primary school children. Časopis za Društvene
Nauke. 2015:39(1): 143-155.
21. Ewing JC, Foster DD, Whittington MS. Explaining student cogni-
tion during class sessions in the context Piaget’s theory of cogni-
tive development. NACTA Journal. 2011; 55(1):68.
22. Gallahue D.L., Ozmun J.C. Understanding motor development:
infants, children, adolescents, adults. 6th edition McGraw-Hill,
Dubuque. Iowa. 2005.
23. Welford AT. Fundamentals of skill. 1968.
24. Guthrie ER. Psychology of learning. New York, NY: Harper &
Row. 1935.
25. Morgan PJ, Barnett LM, Cliff DP, Okely AD, Scott HA, Cohen
KE, et al. Fundamental movement skill interventions in youth:
a systematic review and meta-analysis. Pediatrics. 2013; 132(5):
1361-83.
26. Iivonen S, Sääkslahti A. K. Preschool children’s fundamental
motor skills: a review of significant determinants. Early Child
Development and Care. 2014; 184(7):1107-1126.
27. Rodríguez-Negro J, Huertas-Delgado F. J, Yanci J. Motor skills
differences by gender in early elementary education students.
Early Child Development and Care. 2021; 191(2):281-291.
28. Van der Fels IM, TeWierike SC, Hartman E, Elferink-Gemser MT,
Smith J, Visscher C. The relationship between motor skills and
cognitive skills in 4-16 year old typically developing children: A
systematic review. J Sci Med Sport. 2015; 18(6):697-703.
29. Figueroa R, An R. Motor Skill Competence and Physical
Activity in Preschoolers: A Review. Matern Child Health J. 2017;
21(1):136-146.
30. Ericsson I. Effects of increased physical activity on motor skills
and marks in physical education: an intervention study in scho-
ol years 1 through 9 in Sweden. Physical Education and Sport
Pedagogy. 2011; 16 (3):313-329.
31. Biddle SJ, Asare M. Physical activity and mental health in chil-
dren and adolescents: a review of reviews. Br J Sports Med. 2011;
45(11):886-95.
32. Rodriguez-Ayllon M, Cadenas-Sánchez C, Estévez-López F,
Muñoz NE, Mora-Gonzalez J, Migueles JH, Molina-García P, et
al. Role of physical activity and sedentary behavior in the mental
health of preschoolers, children and adolescents: a systematic re-
view and meta-analysis. Sports medicine. 2019; 49(9):1383-410.
33. Manna I. Growth Development and Maturity in Children and
Adolescent: Relation to Sports and Physical Activity. American
Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2014; 2(5): 48-50.
34. Tsompanaki E. The effect of creative movement-dance on
the development of basic motor skills of pre-school children.
Rev. Eur. Stud. 2019; 11:29.
35. Altınkök M. The effect of movement education based on coope-
rative learning method on the development of basic motor skills
of primary school 1st grade learners. Journal of Baltic Science
Education. 2017; 16(2):241.
36. Katić R, Bala G, Barović Z. Gender differentiations of cogniti-
ve-motor functioning in prepubertal and pubertal children. Coll
Antropol. 2012; 36(2):563-72.
37. Maksimović Z, Milovanović V, Janić M, Zorić-Damjanović Z,
Radović V, Živojinović S. School children and adolescents as pa-
tients in the Emergency Medical Service Belgrade. Naučni časo-
pis urgentne medicine-Halo 94. 2010; 16(3):119-125.
38. Fisher A, Reilly JJ, Kelly LA, Montgomery C, Williamson A, Pato
JY, et al. Fundamental movement skills and habitual physical
activity in young children. Medicine and Science in Sports and
Exercise. 2005; 37(4):684-688.
39. Robinson LE, Wadsworth DD, Peoples CM. Correlates of sc-
hoolday physical activity in preschoolers: A preliminary study.
Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 2012; 83(1):20-26.
40. Williams HG, Pfeiffer KA, O’Neill JR, Dowda M, McIver KL,
Brown WH, et al. Motor skill performance and physical activity
in preschool children. Obesity. 2008; 16(6):1421-1426.
41. Lubans DR, Morgan PJ, Cliff DP, Barnett LM, Oakley AD.
Fundamental movement skills in children and adolescents:
Review of associated health benefits. Sports Medicine. 2010;
40(12):1019-1035.
42. Stodden DF, Goodway JD, Langendorfer SJ, Roberton MA,
Rudisill ME, Garcia C, et al. A developmental perspective on the
role of motorskill competence in physical activity: An emergent
relationship. Quest. 2008; 60(2):290-306.
43. Houwen S, Hartman E, Visscher C. Physical activity and motor
skills in children with and without visual impairments. Medicine
and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2009; 41(1):103-109.
44. Ziviani J, Poulsen A, Hansen C. Movement skills proficiency and
physical activity: A case for Engaging and Coaching for Health
(EACH)-child. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. 2009;
56(4):259-265.
45. Haugen T, Safvenbom R, Ommundsen Y. Physical activity and
globalselfworth: The role of physical self-esteem indices and gen-
der. Mental Health and Physical Activity. 2011; 4(2):49-56.
46. Digelidis N, Papaioannou A, Laparidis K, Christodoulidis T. A
one-year intervention in 7th grade physical education classes ai-
ming to change motivational climateand attitudes towards exerci-
se. Psychology of Sport and Exercise. 2003; 4(3):195- 210.
47. Macdonald-Wallis K., Jago R, Page AS, Brockman R, Thompson
JL. School-based friendship networks and children’s physical acti-
vity: A spatial analyticalapproach. Social Science and Medicine.
2011; 73(1):6-12.
48. Cioni G, Sgandurra G. Normal psychomotor development.
Handb Clin Neurol. 2013; 111:3-15.
49. Healy C, Eaton A, Cotter I, Carter E, Dhondt N, Cannon M.
Mediators of the longitudinal relationship between childhood ad-
versity and late adolescent psychopathology. Psychol Med. 2021;
3:1-9.
50. Hallam, S. The power of music: Its impact on the intellectual,
social and personal development of children and young people.
International Journal of Music Education. 2010; 28(3):269-289.
51. Biddle SJ, Asare M. Physical activity and mental health in chil-
dren and adolescents: A review of reviews. Br J Sports Med. 2011;
45(11):886- 895.
52. Biddle S, Mutrie N. Psychology of physical activity: Determinants,
well-being and interventions. 2nd ed. London: Routledge. 2008.
53. Ahn S, Fedewa AL. A meta-analysis of the relationship between
children’s physical activity and mental health. J of Pediatric
Psychology. 2011; 36(4): 385-397.
54. Charvat J. Research on the relationship between mental health
and academic achievement. Bethesda, MD: National Association
of School Psychologists. 2012.
55. Penedo FJ, Dahn JR. Exercise and well-being: A review of men-
tal and physical health benefits associated with physical activity.
Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 2005; 18(2):189-193.

Medicinski podmladak / Medical Youth
39
Bukvić Z. et al.e Importance of Physical Activity for the Development of Motor Skills of Younger School Age Children. MedPodml
2021, 72(2):34-39
56. Kolarov N. The impact of sports and physical activity on chil-
dren’s development. Sports medicine. 2007; 5(1).
57. Ginsburg KR. The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy
Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent Child Bonds.
Paediatrics. 2007; 119 (1):182–191.
58. Nikolić ID. The impact of sports and physical education on
the growth, development and health of school-age children.
Poslovnaekonomija. 2019; 13(1):47-62.
59. Petty KH, Davis CL, Tkacz J, Young-Hyman D, Waller JL.
Exercise effects on depressive symptoms and self-worth in
overweight children: A randomized controlled trial. J of Pediatric
Psychology. 2009; 34(9):929-939.
60. Dedaj M. The importance of physical education for the health of
children and youth. Pedagogy in Serbian. 2011; 66(2): 346-356.
61. Đorđić V, Bala UG. Physical activity of preschool girls and boys
Novi Sad: Faculty of Physical Education. 2006: 57-74.
62. Kashihara K, Maruyama T, Murota M, Nakahara Y. Positive effe-
cts of acute and moderate physical exercise on cognitive function.
Journal of physiological anthropology. 2009; 28(4):155-64.
63. Spiegelman BM, Korsmeyer SJ. Irisin and the therapeutic bene-
fits of exercise. InBMC proceedings. 2012; 6(3):1.