Relationship between motor and cognitive learning abilities among primary school-aged children

Peer review under responsibility of Alexandria University Faculty of Medicine.

Available online 11 January 2017

Figures & data

Figure 1 Anthropometric children’s parameters (i.e. Height in (cm), Weight in (kg) and BMI). Analyses were adjusted by sex (i.e. total, boys and girls) and age (i.e. 6, 7 and 8 years old). A, B and C represents significant difference between different ages (i.e. compared to 6, 7 and 8 years old respectively) with p < 0.05. Values are represented as mean ± SD.

Table 1 Motor and cognitive children’s abilities.

	Motor Abilities								Cognitive Abilities
	Sprint	BB	JS	PU	Sit UP	LJ	6 min	Total	Lang	Relat	Deduc	Math	Total
Boys	4.60 ± 0.05	30.02 ± 1.16^⁎	22.30 ± 0.72	14.53 ± 0.76	18.77 ± 0.74	119.25 ± 2.15^⁎	897.72 ± 15.8^⁎	26.16 ± 15.8	8.85 ± 0.32	8.46 ± 0.36	8.62 ± 0.32^⁎	7.69 ± 0.45	33.66 ± 1.26
Girls	4.72 ± 0.05	33.45 ± 1.09^⁎	22.53 ± 0.78	13.59 ± 0.63	17.83 ± 0.68	111.98 ± 1.82^⁎	849.44 ± 12.7^⁎	26.65 ± 0.72	8.05 ± 0.30	8.13 ± 0.32	9.56 ± 0.29^⁎	7.26 ± 0.42	32.97 ± 1.10
6 Years	4.97 ± 0.06BC	25.09 ± 1.48BC	16.85 ± 0.79BC	10.00 ± 0.79BC	14.29 ± 0.81BC	107.18 ± 2.20BC	810.54 ± 19.9BC	23.11 ± 1.01BC	6.96 ± 0.40BC	6.69 ± 0.43BC	8.03 ± 0.4 BC^⁎	4.13 ± 0.52BC	25.81 ± 1.4BC
7 Years	4.60 ± 0.04AC	35.08 ± 1.3A^⁎	23.78 ± 0.73A	15.53 ± 0.74A	18.90 ± 0.7AC	117.53 ± 2.25A	915.71 ± 14.5A	28.90 ± 0.80AC	8.89 ± 0.34A	8.79 ± 0.38A	9.10 ± 3.40A	8.56 ± 0.41A	35.45 ± 1.26A
8 Years	4.44 ± 0.05A B	33.21 ± 1.37A	25.82 ± 0.91A	15.93 ± 0.91A	21.36 ± 0.96AB	121.33 ± 2.68A	876.24 ± 18.1A	25.98 ± 0.80AB	9.32 ± 0.39A	9.16 ± 0.40A	10.05 ± 0.33A	9.20 ± 0.49A	37.59 ± 1.27A
Boy 6Y	4.83 ± 0.09BC	22.48 ± 2.29BC	16.52 ± 1.13BC	10.11 ± 1.26C	14.41 ± 1.19BC	112.07 ± 3.22C	833.07 ± 31.30B	23.11 ± 1.58B	7.12 ± 0.55BC	6.65 ± 0.60BC	7.15 ± 0.5BC^⁎	3.96 ± 0.74BC	24.89 ± 1.9BC
Boy 7Y	4.58 ± 0.06A	32.80 ± 1.62A^⁎	23.28 ± 0.91A	15.96 ± 1.11	19.07 ± 0.98A	119.74 ± 3.31	935.59 ± 22.6A	28.11 ± 1.12A	9.15 ± 0.48A	8.72 ± 0.55A	8.59 ± 0.50AB	8.57 ± 0.57A	35.11 ± 1.84A
Boy 8Y	4.42 ± 0.09A	32.76 ± 1.71A	25.76 ± 1.34A	16.17 ± 1.37A	22.07 ± 1.49A	124.79 ± 4.22A	896.07 ± 27.1	25.97 ± 1.27	10.00 ± 0.54A	9.59 ± 0.60A	10.10 ± 0.49AC	9.62 ± 0.74A	39.31 ± 1.97A
Girl 6Y	5.10 ± 0.07BC	27.52 ± 1.84BC	17.16 ± 1.12BC	9.90 ± 0.89BC	14.17 ± 1.11BC	102.62 ± 2.81 BC	789.55 ± 25.0B	23.10 ± 1.31 B	6.83 ± 0.60BC	6.72 ± 0.61BC	8.83 ± 0.58^⁎	4.28 ± 0.74BC	26.66 ± 2.1BC
Girl 7Y	4.62 ± 0.06A	37.92 ± 1.41A^⁎	24.41 ± 1.18A	15.00 ± 0.92A	18.70 ± 1.01A	114.78 ± 2.90 A	891.00 ± 16.05A	29.89 ± 1.13AC	8.56 ± 0.45A	8.89 ± 0.50A	9.75 ± 0.49	8.56 ± 0.58A	35.89 ± 1.67A
Girl 8Y	4.46 ± 0.06A	33.66 ± 2.16A	25.88 ± 1.25A	15.69 ± 1.23A	20.66 ± 1.20A	117.86 ± 3.26 A	856.41 ± 24.01	26.00 ± 0.10B	8.59 ± 0.47A	8.70 ± 0.51A	10.00 ± 0.44	8.74 ± 0.64A	35.74 ± 1.54A

The tested abilities were (Sprint in “s”, LJ in “cm”, 6 min in “m” and BB, JS, PU, Sit UP in “pts”) for motor abilities and (language, relation, deductive and mathematic in “pts”) for cognitive abilities. Analyses were adjusted by sex, age and sex-age.

⁎ Significant difference between gender; A, B and C represents significant difference between different ages (i.e. compared to 6, 7 and 8 years old respectively) with p < 0.05. Values are represented as mean ± SD.

Table 2 Associations of motor and cognitive abilities with the age and the anthropometric children’s parameters.

	Age		Height		Weight		BMI
	p	r	p	r	p	r	p	r
Motor abilities
Sprint	p < 0.001	r = -0.69	P > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–
BB	p < 0.01	r = 0.59	p > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–
JS	p < 0.001	r = 0.67	p < 0.01	r = 0.51	p < 0.01	r = 0.50	p > 0.05	–
PU	p < 0.001	r = 0.62	p < 0.01	r = 0.48	P < 0.05	r = 0.44	p > 0.05	–
Sit up	p < 0.01	r = 0.54	P > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–
LJ	p > 0.05	–	P > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–
6 min	p > 0.05	–	P > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–
Total	p < 0.05	r = 0.51	P > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–
Cognitive abilities
Language	P < 0.01	r = 0.59	P > 0.05	–	P > 0.05	–	P > 0.05	–
Relation	p < 0.01	r = 0.53	P > 0.05	–	p < 0.05	r = 0.41	p < 0.05	r = 0.40
Deductive	p < 0.05	r = 0.44	P > 0.05	–	P > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–
Math	p < 0.001	r = 0.80	p < 0.05	r = 0.41	p < 0.01	r = 0.51	p < 0.05	r = 0.37
Total	p < 0.001	r = 0.73	p < 0.05	r = 0.37	p < 0.01	r = 0.51	p < 0.05	r = 0.39

The tested abilities were (Sprint in “s”, LJ in “cm”, 6 min in “m” and BB, JS, PU, Sit UP in “pts”) for motor abilities and (language understanding, relation recognizing, deductive thinking and mathematical thinking in “pts”) for cognitive abilities.

Table 3 Associations between motor and cognitive children’s abilities.

Cognitive abilities	Language		Relation		Deductive		Math		Total
	p	r	p	r	p	r	p	r	p	r
Motor abilities
Sprint	p > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–
BB	p < 0.001	r = 0.63	P > 0.05	–	p < 0.05	r = 0.36	p < 0.001	r = 0.75	p < 0.001	r = 0.63
JS	p > 0.05	–	p < 0.05	r = 0.41	p > 0.05	–	p < 0.05	r = 0.45	p < 0.05	r = 0.44
PU	p < 0.01	r = 0.58	P < 0.05	r = 0.46	p > 0.05	–	p < 0.001	r = 0.61	p < 0.0 01	r = 0.60
Sit up	p > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–	p < 0.01	r = 0.53	p < 0.01	r = 0.49
LJ	p < 0.05	r = 0.44	p > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–	p > 0.05	–
6 min	p < 0.01	r = 0.57	p < 0.05	r = 0.44	p > 0.05	–	p < 0.001	r = 0.64	p < 0.001	r = 0.62
Total	p < 0.001	r = 0.59	p < 0.01	r = 0.52	p > 0.05	–	p < 0.001	r = 0.62	p < 0.001	r = 0.60

The tested abilities were (Sprint in “s”, LJ in “cm”, 6 min in “m” and BB, JS, PU, Sit UP in “pts”) for motor abilities and (language understanding, relation recognizing, deductive thinking and mathematical thinking in “pts”) for cognitive abilities.