The Role of Motor Skills in the Sociometric Status and Perceived Social Status of Schoolchildren.

INTRODUCTION: Children with better motor skills tend to develop more positive peer relationships. However, there is little information about the relationship between motor skills and the five sociometric status groups, as well as how much it interferes with self-perception of social status. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the as sociation of low motor skills with sociometric status and perceived social status in students aged 7 to 10 years. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Cross-sectional, descriptive study with convenience sampling. Parti cipated in the study children in public schools from Florianopolis, Brazil. Children with disabilities and those who changed schools during the school year were excluded. Motor skills were evaluated by the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2), validated for this population. Movement skills were considered low when they were below the 15th percentile. Sociometric Status was assessed using the Subjective Scale of Social Status in the Classroom, according to the sociometric method, and the Perceived Social Status by the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status, classifying chil dren into five groups. Multinominal logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: 439 children participated (242 girls and 197 boys), with a median age of 8.94 ± 1.03. Participants classified as rejec ted, neglected, and controversial, regarding sociometric status, were 5.01, 2.40, and 2.86, respectively, more likely to present low motor skills when compared with the average group. Regarding perceived social status, there were no significant differences. CONCLUSION: The difficulties found in children with low motor skills go beyond the motor domain, extending to social relationships.

Effect of linear running velocity on the increase on foot pronation.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the behavior of foot pronation at different percentages of peak velocity in 23 physically active men. An ergospirometric test was carried out with an initial velocity of 9kmh-1 and increments of 1kmh-1 until exhaustion. 2D kinematic analysis was performed in the posterior frontal plane at all velocities to identify the maximal angle of pronation (MAP) of the right leg. The analyses were performed between the initial periods (0%), 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% (peak of velocity - PV). All comparisons of the PV phases with the MAP showed an increase in the angle of foot pronation, with the exception of between the start and 25% of PV. Only 4 (∼17%) subjects maintained MAP values within a normal range until PV was reached. Control of the volume and intensity of training, as well as the running technique is suggested and strengthening of the muscles responsible for stabilization of the foot pronation.

Functional resistance training can increase strength, knee torque ratio, and functional performance in elderly women.

Functional resistance training can increase strength, knee torque ratio, and functional performance in elderly women. The aim of the present study was to understand the effects of closed kinetic chain exercises with constant load on muscular strength, the knee torque conventional ratio (hamstring:quadriceps - H:Q), and functional capacity in the elderly. Nine untrained healthy elderly women participated in experimental resistance training. Ten-repetition maximum (10RM) for the deadlift, isokinetic maximum voluntary concentric contraction, and functional capacity were assessed before and after the 7-week resistance-training program. Magnitude based inference analysis was used to examine the differences in muscle strength and functional performance. Therefore, the smallest worthwhile change was calculated and 90% confidence intervals were also determined to characterize muscle strength and functional performance. The analysis demonstrated an increase in the deadlift and knee flexor torque (60o/sec) after the experimental intervention. Furthermore, stair ascent, knee extensor torque (120o/sec), knee flexor torque (120o/sec), and knee ratio (60o/sec) also presented a positive effect in the same training period. Conversely, knee extensor torque (60o/sec), and knee ratio (120o/sec) did not show conclusive responses. In conclusion, resistance training with functional closed kinetic chain exercises and constant volume load (i.e., 65% of 1-repetition maximum) can increase deadlift 10RM, isokinetic concentric torque, the conventional H:Q ratio, and stair ascent performance in elderly women.