ECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH11
ECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH11
Background: Health profession university students experience high academic and psychosocial demands during a critical life period for establishing long-term health behaviours1. Physical activity (PA) is associated with improved mental health2, but the interplay between PA, sedentary behaviour (SB), fatigue and stress on mental well-being and perceived overall health remains insufficiently explored in this population. Future healthcare professionals represent a strategic target for health promotion, as their own lifestyle behaviours influence both their professional resilience and their proficiency as health ambassadors. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined associations between PA, SB and fatigue with mental well-being and perceived overall health, as well as the moderating role of stress, among undergraduate health students in a Swiss University of Applied Sciences. Students completed an online survey including the International Physical Activity Questionnaire–Short Form; the 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ; to measure mental well-being, further subdivided in depression and anxiety symptoms); the 4-item Perceived Stress Scale; the Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire (further subdivided into physical and mental fatigue) and a single-item measure of perceived overall health (1-10 scale). Spearman correlations, linear regressions (controlling for BMI and gender), and moderation analyses were conducted. Results: A total of 299 students across five health professions were included (75% female, median BMI: 23.0 kg/m2). Higher moderate-to-vigorous PA was associated with lower anxiety symptoms and overall PHQ score (ρ=-0.23, p<0.001 for both), and better perceived overall health (ρ=0.28, p<0.001). SB was associated with increased perceived fatigue (total fatigue ρ=0.19, p=0.003, physical fatigue ρ=0.17, p=0.008). Stress emerged as the strongest predictor of PHQ score (B=0.64, p<0.001) and perceived overall health (B=-0.19, p<0.001), but it did not moderate the relationship between these outcomes and PA nor SB. No significant interaction between PA and SB was observed for either mental well-being or perceived overall health. Conclusion: Among health professions students, higher PA was associated with better mental well-being and perceived overall health, independent of stress or SB. While SB was unrelated to mental well-being in this study, it was associated with greater fatigue. Promoting PA and limiting SB should be key elements of university health-promotion strategies to enhance well-being and resilience in future healthcare professionals. 1. Gordon-Larsen P, Nelson MC, Popkin BM. Longitudinal physical activity and sedentary behavior trends: adolescence to adulthood. American journal of preventive medicine. 2004;27(4):277-283. 2. Singh B, Olds T, Curtis R, et al. Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews. Br J Sports Med. Sep 2023;57(18):1203-1209.
Read CV Margaux BaronECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH11
Introduction This study investigated fundamental motor skills (FMSs) in children with Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) compared to their typically developing (TD) peers, focusing on individual skill mastery and performance patterns across diagnostic subtypes. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no research to date has simultaneously employed a process-oriented motor skills assessment while also reporting individual skill components and mastery levels of FMSs in children with SLD. Methods A total of 90 children (45 SLD, 45 TD) aged 8 to 11 years participated. FMSs were assessed using the process-oriented Test of Gross Motor Development, Second Edition (TGMD-2). To analyze performance on the TGMD-2, the frequency of children meeting mature performance criteria for each skill was compared between the SLD and TD groups using chi-square tests. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to compare TGMD-2 raw scores between the SLD and TD groups while statistically controlling for age and gender. These analyses were performed separately for locomotor subtests, object control subtests, and individual skill scores. Chi-square analyses were also applied to compare the distribution of TGMD-2 performance categories (e.g., “very poor,” “poor,” “below average,” “average,” “above average”) between the SLD and TD groups, as well as across SLD diagnostic subtypes (dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysorthographia, and mixed). Results Children with SLD exhibited significantly lower gross motor skills proficiency than TD peers, with significantly lower scores found across most locomotor (running, galloping, hopping, jumping, sliding) (all p < .01) and object control (batting, catching, throwing, rolling) skills (all p < .05). The SLD group was significantly less likely to demonstrate mature movement patterns in 9 out of 12 skills (all p < .01), and the majority of children with SLD were categorized in the "Poor" or "Below average" performance ranges (all p < .01), underscoring a critical qualitative deficit in motor execution. However, no significant differences in gross motor performance were observed among the SLD subtypes (dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysorthographia, and mixed). Discussion Overall, children with SLD demonstrated poorer gross motor proficiency than TD peers, as evidenced by lower performance scores and less mature movement patterns across most skills. Importantly, gross motor performance did not differ significantly among SLD subtypes, indicating that motor execution difficulties are not subtype-specific. Together, these findings underscore a pervasive FMS deficit and highlight the need for routine motor assessment in children with SLD to inform targeted, process-oriented interventions aimed at reducing long-term developmental risks.
Read CV Ting-Yi LuECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH11