Frédéric N Brière1,2,3,4, Arianne Imbeault5,6, Gary S Goldfield7,8, Linda S Pagani5,6,9. 1. École de Psychoéducation, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada. frederic.nault-briere@umontreal.ca. 2. School Environment Research Group (SERG), Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada. frederic.nault-briere@umontreal.ca. 3. Institut de Recherche en Santé Publique de l'Université de Montréal (IRSPUM), Montréal, QC, Canada. frederic.nault-briere@umontreal.ca. 4. RENARD Knowledge-Translation Team, Montréal, QC, Canada. frederic.nault-briere@umontreal.ca. 5. École de Psychoéducation, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada. 6. School Environment Research Group (SERG), Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada. 7. Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada. 8. Healthy Active Living & Obesity (HALO) Research Group, CHEO Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada. 9. Ste-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montréal, QC, Canada.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to derive trajectories of childhood participation in organized physical activity (PA) and to examine how these trajectories are associated with pre-existing and subsequent emotional adjustment. METHODS: Trajectories of mother-reported participation in organized PA were derived from age 6 to 10 for 1492 children from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development birth cohort. Parents and teachers reported on internalizing behavior (emotional distress, anxiety, shyness, social withdrawal) at ages 4 and 12, respectively. RESULTS: Longitudinal latent class analysis identified two typical trajectories of participation in organized PA. The Consistent Participation trajectory (61%) included children with elevated probability of participation at all ages. The Low-Inconsistent Participation trajectory (39%) included children who did not participate or participated only once or twice, generally in late childhood. Pre-existing internalizing behavior at age 4 did not predict trajectory membership. However, children in the Low-Inconsistent Participation trajectory showed higher subsequent emotional distress (B = 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.46-1.28), anxiety (B = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.18-1.04), shyness (B = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.39-1.44), and social withdrawal (B = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.37-1.34) at age 12 than those in the Consistent Participation trajectory. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that early and sustained involvement in organized PA is beneficial for children's emotional development.
BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to derive trajectories of childhood participation in organized physical activity (PA) and to examine how these trajectories are associated with pre-existing and subsequent emotional adjustment. METHODS: Trajectories of mother-reported participation in organized PA were derived from age 6 to 10 for 1492 children from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development birth cohort. Parents and teachers reported on internalizing behavior (emotional distress, anxiety, shyness, social withdrawal) at ages 4 and 12, respectively. RESULTS: Longitudinal latent class analysis identified two typical trajectories of participation in organized PA. The Consistent Participation trajectory (61%) included children with elevated probability of participation at all ages. The Low-Inconsistent Participation trajectory (39%) included children who did not participate or participated only once or twice, generally in late childhood. Pre-existing internalizing behavior at age 4 did not predict trajectory membership. However, children in the Low-Inconsistent Participation trajectory showed higher subsequent emotional distress (B = 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.46-1.28), anxiety (B = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.18-1.04), shyness (B = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.39-1.44), and social withdrawal (B = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.37-1.34) at age 12 than those in the Consistent Participation trajectory. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that early and sustained involvement in organized PA is beneficial for children's emotional development.