In their developmental model, Stodden et al. (2008) propose age-dependent relations between motor competence, physical activity,perceived motor competence, physical fitness, and weight status thatcan lead to a spiral of (dis)engagement. The goal of this study was toexplore these relations in a large sample of Dutch primary schoolchildren. To our knowledge, this is the first study including all fiveaspects of the model and a large sample of children between four andthirteen years old. Cross-sectional data was collected in 2068 children(ages 4–13), divided over 9 age groups. During physical educationclasses, they completed the 4-Skills Test, a physical activity question-naire, versions of the Self-Perception Profile for Children, Eurofit testand anthropometry measurements. Correlation coefficients per agegroup were calculated (full information maximum likelihood) andtransformed using a Fisher’s r to z transformation, after which thetest-statistic z was calculated. The results show that all five factors arerelated to each other and that a tipping point exists at which relationsemerge or strengthen. Physical fitness is related to motor competenceand physical activity and these relationships strengthen with age. Arelationship between BMI and the other four factors emerges in middlechildhood. Although the model described that physical activity stimu-lates motor competence in early childhood, our data showed that at ayoung age, both motor competence and perceived motor competencehad no relation with physical activity, while they were weakly related toeach other. In middle childhood, both motor competence and perceivedmotor competence were related to physical activity. Our findingsdemonstrate that children in late childhood who have higher perceivedmotor competence are also more physically active, have higher physicalfitness, higher motor competence and lower BMI. Our results indicatethat targeting motor competence at a young age might be a feasible wayto ensure continued participation in physical activities throughoutchildhood and adolescence. Funding source: Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research.
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Coastal nourishments, where sand from offshore is placed near or at the beach, are nowadays a key coastal protection method for narrow beaches and hinterlands worldwide. Recent sea level rise projections and the increasing involvement of multiple stakeholders in adaptation strategies have resulted in a desire for nourishment solutions that fit a larger geographical scale (O 10 km) and a longer time horizon (O decades). Dutch frontrunner pilot experiments such as the Sandmotor and Ameland inlet nourishment, as well as the Hondsbossche Dunes coastal reinforcement project have all been implemented from this perspective, with the specific aim to encompass solutions that fit in a renewed climate-resilient coastal protection strategy. By capitalizing on recent large-scale nourishments, the proposed Coastal landSCAPE project C-SCAPE will employ and advance the newly developed Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways (DAPP) approach to construct a sustainable long-term nourishment strategy in the face of an uncertain future, linking climate and landscape scales to benefits for nature and society. Novel long-term sandy solutions will be examined using this pathways method, identifying tipping points that may exist if distinct strategies are being continued. Crucial elements for the construction of adaptive pathways are 1) a clear view on the long-term feasibility of different nourishment alternatives, and 2) solid, science-based quantification methods for integral evaluation of the social, economic, morphological and ecological outcomes of various pathways. As currently both elements are lacking, we propose to erect a Living Lab for Climate Adaptation within the C-SCAPE project. In this Living Lab, specific attention is paid to the socio-economic implications of the nourished landscape, as we examine how morphological and ecological development of the large-scale nourishment strategies and their design choices (e.g. concentrated vs alongshore uniform, subaqueous vs subaerial, geomorphological features like artificial lagoons) translate to social acceptance.
