Zhou, Yuxi;
Tolmie, Andrew;
(2024)
Associations between Gross and Fine Motor Skills, Physical Activity, Executive Function, and Academic Achievement: Longitudinal Findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study.
Brain Sciences
, 14
(2)
, Article 121. 10.3390/brainsci14020121.
Preview |
Text
brainsci-14-00121-v3.pdf - Published Version Download (350kB) | Preview |
Abstract
Accumulating evidence from behavioral studies and neuroscience suggests that motor and cognitive development are intrinsically intertwined. To explore the underlying mechanisms of this motor–cognition link, our study examined the longitudinal relationship of early motor skills and physical activity with later cognitive skills. The sample was 3188 children from the United Kingdom Millennium Cohort Study, followed at 9 months and 5, 7, and 11 years. Early motor skills were examined at 9 months. Children’s daily physical activity level was measured using accelerometers at 7 years and a questionnaire was conducted at 11 years. Cognitive skills, including executive function and academic achievement, were measured at age 11. The results suggest that gross motor skills were positively associated with spatial working memory, whereas fine motor skills were predictive of good English and science outcomes. Moderate-to-vigorous activity was found to be negatively associated with English performance, although self-reported activity frequency was positively linked to math. Our results highlight the significant role of both gross and fine motor skills in cognitive development. This study also elucidates the limitations of using activity intensity to assess the impact of motor activity on children’s cognitive development, suggesting that attention to the effects of specific types of physical activity would better elucidate the motor/cognition link.
Type: | Article |
---|---|
Title: | Associations between Gross and Fine Motor Skills, Physical Activity, Executive Function, and Academic Achievement: Longitudinal Findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study |
Location: | Switzerland |
Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
DOI: | 10.3390/brainsci14020121 |
Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14020121 |
Language: | English |
Additional information: | Copyright © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Keywords: | Executive function; motor skills; physical activity; academic achievement; Millennium Cohort Study |
UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development |
URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10189866 |
Archive Staff Only
![]() |
View Item |