VARIATIONS IN AIM AND CATCH VALUES IN 11- AND 12-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN IN NORTHERN SPAIN DURING SARS-COV-2 LOCKDOWN

Abstract

Some habits related to diet, PA practice and screen time were modified as a consequence of the appearance of SARS-CoV-2 in Spain, especially in the infant-juvenile population. These changes resulted in lower levels of physical activity and increased time spent in sedentary activities during lockdown, which lasted 4 months between March and June 2020. The aim of this study was to determine the impact on the aiming and catching of 11-12 year old school children during this lockdown. Methods: The study involved 50 children aged 11-12 years (M = 11.40, SD = 0.50), 33 (66%) boys and 17 (34%) girls from northern Spain. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2 (Movement ABC-2) was used for data collection as well as an ad hoc socio-demographic questionnaire. Results: There were significant differences (p < 0.05) in the results for the aiming and catching variables measured by the tests established by the MABC-2 in the total sample as well as by gender. There were also significant differences in the boys and girls of the sample in mean, scalar and percentile scores for aiming and catching between pre-lockdown and post-lockdown, with a more pronounced worsening of the measured values in girls than in boys. Conclusions: The study showed a significant worsening of aiming and catching values in boys and girls aged 11-12 years during SARS-CoV-2 lockdown.