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Engaging in healthy daily 24-h movement behaviors (e.g., moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA] [greater than or equal to] 60 minutes, screen time <2 hours, and sleep [greater than or equal to] 7 hours) is suggested to be associated with favorable mental health outcomes (e.g., less depressive symptoms and higher quality of life). Given the high prevalence of depressive symptoms among young adults worldwide, the primary purpose of this study was to examine the effects of sociodemographic factors, weight status, and adherence to the 24-h movement behavior guidelines on depressive symptoms among college students. A total of 278 college students (187 women; M[subscript age] = 22.38, SD = 3.91) completed the validated depressive symptom survey and wore the accelerometers (GT9X ActiGraph) objectively assessing their light PA [LPA], moderate-to-vigorous PA [MVPA], sedentary behavior, and sleep duration. Significant associations of sociodemographic factors (sex, academic level, race) and weight status with the prevalence of depressive symptoms were observed (p < 0.05), but not with adherence to the 24-h movement behavior guidelines. No significant associations were found between adherence to the 24-h movement behavior guidelines and the likelihood of depressive symptoms (odds ratios ranged from 0.56 to 1.85; p > 0.05). Adherence to the 24-h movement behavior guidelines was associated with the prevalence of depressive symptoms among college students. Higher education institutions should focus on depression screening and prevention among college students who are women, minority, and in an overweight/obese weight status.

Purpose: Developing physically literate individuals is a major goal of school physical education. To date, no research in the United States has examined physical literacy by simultaneously measuring multiple dimensions among young children. The purpose of this study was to examine students' current status of physical literacy in third grade. Method: Students (N = 342) from four elementary schools in Texas participated in the study. Dimensions of physical literacy including fundamental motor skills, health-related physical fitness, physical activity, and fitness knowledge were measured using the PE Metrics[superscript TM], FitnessGram, accelerometers, and a written test, respectively. Results: The students showed varying levels of competencies across the physical literacy dimensions. Based on the results from multivariate analyses of variance, physical literacy as the single overarching factor was statistically associated with gender, Wilks's [lambda] = 0.90, F(5, 316) = 6.82, p < 0.01, weight status, Wilks's [lambda] = .81, F(5, 316) = 14.43, p < 0.01, and ethnicity, Wilks's [lambda] = 0.96, F(5, 316) = 2.47, p < 0.05. Subsequent univariate analyses showed that girls had higher cardiorespiratory endurance but lower physical activity than boys; students with healthy body weight had higher cardiorespiratory endurance and fundamental motor skills than those with unhealthy weight; and Hispanic children displayed higher muscular fitness than non-Hispanic children. Conclusion: The physical literacy discrepancies by gender, weight status, and ethnicity identified in this study are useful for physical educators to promote physical literacy in various student groups.

In this study, we had two inter-related goals: (a) to examine sex and minority status differences on children's motivation for physical education (PE; i.e., their expectancy beliefs, subjective task values, and situational interest) and their psychomotor learning outcomes (i.e., motor competence, cardiorespiratory fitness, and in-class physical activity); and (b) to examine the relationships between children's motivation and their psychomotor learning outcomes while testing the moderation effects of sex and minority status. We recruited 195 fourth and fifth-grade students (101 boys; 94 girls; M age = 10.7, SD = 0.7 years) from three elementary schools in North Texas. Using multivariate analysis of variance, we identified a significant sex difference that favored boys in motivation and psychomotor learning outcomes, with no significant minority status difference in relation to these variables. Regression analysis revealed that children's expectancy beliefs were significantly associated with both motor competence (R 2 = 11%) and cardiorespiratory fitness (R 2 = 16%), while both situational interest and sex were associated with in-class physical activity (R 2 = 18%). Thus, improving children's expectancy beliefs may be a means of enhancing psychomotor learning outcomes in PE, especially for girls. Enhancing children's beliefs in their own ability and offering diversified PE content so as to generate greater interest may facilitate psychomotor learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the relationship between physical literacy (i.e., motor competence, physical activity, and health-related fitness) and academic performance (i.e., executive function, class attendance, and standardized test scores) among adolescents. Second, we investigated whether these relationships differ between boys and girls using a structural invariable test. Using a prospective research design, we recruited 330 adolescents (154 boys and 176 girls; M age = 12.52 years, SD = 0.86) in Texas and conducted correlational analyses, finding that physical literacy variables were significantly related to executive function (while the r s range was from −.16 to −.30, the high scores on the instrument we used, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, indicate higher risks for executive dysfunction; p <.01) and positively associated with school attendance (r s range from.19 to.34; p <.05). Structural equation models supported the significant direct and indirect effects of motor competence on executive function and school attendance for boys and girls through physical fitness (all three components) and school-based moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, respectively. The structural invarince test indicated noninvariant models (based on path coefficients) between girls and boys (p <.01). Embracing psychomotor associations with physical literacy may be a promising way to elicit behavioral change in physical fitness and create a behavioral channel to academic success for adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]