Efeitos de um programa de exercícios físicos multimodais no desempenho motor e na aptidão física de crianças brasileiras de 7 a 10 anos de idade, com e sem provável Transtorno do Desenvolvimento da Coordenação, pertencentes à área rural de baixos recursos

Abstract

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) affects between 5% and 6% of school-aged children, which in turn has implications for physical fitness (PF) components. Knowledge on this subject is scarce, especially with regard to children from low-income rural areas.The main objective of this thesis was to evaluate the effects of 12 sessions of a multimodal physical exercise program on motor performance and the components of PF related to Motor Skills (MS) for Brazilian children aged 7 to 10 years, with and without probable DCD (pDCD), from a low-resource rural area. Thirty-five children (15 boys), aged between 7 and 10 years (8.46±1.26), were assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children second edition (MABC-2) band 2; Performance Fitness (PERF-FIT) batteries; and the questionnaires, Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ-PT) and Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCD-Q). This thesis includes four studies: (i) a Systematic Review to better understand the tools used to assess PF in children with pDCD and DCD compared to typically developing (TD) children, as well as the feasibility of their use in low-income contexts; (ii) a 12-session protocol with multimodal exercises for children with and without pDCD; (iii) an analyses of the effects of a multimodal exercise protocol on MS and PF components related to MS; (iv) an exploratory study of the relationships between pDCD and the sleep habits of children from rural and low-income areas. As results: (i) the systematic review included 21 articles, which highlighted cardiovascular fitness as the most frequently assessed PF component, with the shuttle run being the most commonly used tool; (ii) the intervention study, which involved 24 children, showed significant improvements (p<0.05) in the comparisons between pre- and post-intervention in 10 out of 13 variables from PERF-FIT and in all variables from MABC-2, considering the total sample of the study. Considering the two groups (pDCD and TD), significant differences (p<0.05) were observed in favor of the TD group in two variables from PERF-FIT (Agility Ladder Stepping and Hops-Right Leg) and in all MABC-2 variables in favor of the pDCD group. (iii) the pDCD group presented a higher frequency of inadequate sleep habits compared to the TD group, with higher values being observed for the pDCD group, particularly in the subscales "Resistance to Going to Bed" and "Sleep Anxiety," where significant differences (p<0.05) were found between the two groups (pDCD and TD). Based on the systematic review study, we conclude that although the shuttle run emerges as the most commonly used tool to assess cardiorespiratory fitness, the six-minute walk test is more feasible for low-resource contexts. Original studies suggest that pDCD seems to be reduced with intervention, even in short-term, what makes us interpretate that the low levels of MS and PF may be related to social and cultural strata from the sample. We emphasize the importance of creating intervention strategies to promote healthy growth and development, as well the needing of regular PE Classes. Keywords: MABC-2, Physical Fitness, Motor Skills, PERF-FIT, Sleep, Children