Document details

Learn-to-swim program in a school context for a twelve-week period enhance aquatic skills and motor coordination in Brazilian children

Author(s): Neiva, Henrique P. ; Faíl, Luís B. ; Pinto, Mafalda P. ; Morais, J.E. ; Marinho, D.A. ; Moura, Orilda M.

Date: 2021

Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10198/23948

Origin: Biblioteca Digital da UPB

Project/scholarship: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDB/04045/2020/PT;

Subject(s): Motor development; Aquatic skills; Swimming; Child


Description

This study aimed to verify the effects of 12 weeks of swimming lessons implemented in age school Brazilian children’s aquatic skills and motor coordination. Fifty children aged 6 to 10 years old (mean ± SD: 8.34 ± 1.10 years), participated in one swimming lesson per week provided by the school curriculum. Each child was evaluated for their aquatic skills (17 skills checklist) and motor coordination (Körperkoordinationstest Für Kinder test–KTK) before and after the swimming program. This study showed significant improvements in the sum of scores obtained in swimming skills evaluation (31.40 ± 12.89 vs. 46.90 ± 10.73 points, p < .01, d = 3.38). Large effects were found in water orientation and adjustment at the vertical position, breath control, horizontal buoyancy, body position at ventral, dorsal gliding and at longitudinal rotation, front and back somersaults, leg kicking with breath control, feet-first/head-first entries, autonomy in a deep pool and vertical buoyancy and immersion at deep water. The sum of scores in motor coordination assessment increased from 140.64 ± 41.94 to 175.20 ± 41.39 points (p < .01, d = 1.56). These results showed that 12 weeks of swimming practices, even conditioned by state school context (i.e., once a week), allowed Brazilian children aged 6-10 years old to increase aquatic skills and motor coordination.

Document Type Journal article
Language English
Contributor(s) Biblioteca Digital da UPB
CC Licence
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