Does Perceived Competence Mediate between Ball Skills and Children's Physical Activity and Enjoyment?

Relation between Demographics and Physical Activity among Preschoolers Attending Head Start

Limited empirical evidence is available about preschoolers' sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA) patterns in Head Start programs, we explored (a) preschoolers' SB and PA patterns (ranging from SB to light-moderate-vigorous physical activity [LMVPA]) and (b) their relationships with sociodemographic factors, weight status, and motor development. Participants included 216 preschoolers (M age = 4.32 ± 0.63; girls 56.5%) from six Head Start centers in an urban area in the southwestern region of the United States, assessing Actical® activity monitor-based PA, weight status, and motor development. The findings revealed preschoolers who were female, Hispanic/Latinx, with an at risk weight level, and/or in the below average motor development group tended to engage in less MVPA/LMVPA and also had higher SB patterns while participating in the Head Start program (p < 0.05-0.001, d ranged from 0.23 to 0.62). Head Start stakeholders (e.g., policymakers, leaders, curriculum coordinators, health professionals, and teachers) need to acknowledge the PA and health disparities, and intervene in underserved preschoolers' health-promoting behaviors.

Students’ Motivational and Emotional Experiences in Physical Education across Profiles of Extracurricular Physical Activity: The Influence in the Intention to Be Active

This study examined the relationship between extracurricular physical activity (PA) levels and students’ motivational and emotional experience during physical education (PE) classes and how this psychological experience can predict the intention to be physically active. The sample consisted of 811 Spanish secondary education students (371 boys and 440 girls) aged between 11 and 17 years (M = 13.15, SD = 1.16). Students completed questionnaires about their PA levels, their intention to be physically active, and their motivational and emotional experience during PE classes. A cluster analysis was used to classify the students according to their level of extracurricular PA. Based on a regression analysis, the variables enjoyment, pride, hopelessness, competence, satisfaction, and autonomous motivation played the highest role, predicting the intention to be physically active in the future. Statistical differences were found among the different PA profiles in these variables during the PE classes (MANCOVA). In conclusion, hours of PA outside school have a high relationship with the students’ emotional and motivational experience in their PE classes, which is related with the intention to practise PA in the future. A series of strategies have been proposed at both the institutional level and the teacher level to improve the PE psychological experience of those students who practise less extracurricular PA.