Most scientifically tested physical activity interventions end when research funding ends; interventions that last struggle to sustain benefits. We hypothesize that long-term public health impact will benefit from a shift in how interventionists conceptualize physical activity — from a form of medicine, of value for its innate health benefits, to a malleable medium, of value for the dynamic contexts it creates.

Purpose: To examine effects of a 10-week after-school physical activity (PA) program on academic performance of 6- to 12-year-old African American children with behavior problems. Methods: Participants were randomized to PA (n = 19) or sedentary attention control (n = 16) programs. Academic records, curriculum-based measures, and classroom observations were obtained at baseline, postintervention, and/or follow-up. Mixed models tested group × time interactions on academic records and curriculum-based measures. One-way analysis of variance or Kruskal–Wallis tested for differences in postintervention classroom observations. Results: Intent-to-treat analyses demonstrated a moderate effect within groups from baseline to postintervention on disciplinary referrals (PA: d = −0.47; attention control: d = −0.36) and a null moderate effect on academic assessments (PA: d = 0.11 to 0.36; attention control: d = 0.05 to 0.40). No significant group × time interactions emerged on direct academic assessments (all Ps ≥ .05, d = −0.23 to 0.26) or academic records (all Ps ≥ .05, d = −0.28 to 0.16). Classroom observations revealed that intervention participants were off-task due to moving at twice the rate of comparative classmates (F = 15.74, P < .001) and were off-task due to talking 33% more often (F = 1.39, P = .257). Conclusion: Academic outcome improvements were small within and between groups and did not sustain at follow-up. Academic benefits of after-school PA programs for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and/or disruptive behavior disorders were smaller than neurobiological, behavioral, and cognitive outcomes as previously reported.

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PROBLEMA: El trastorno por Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad (TDAH) está caracterizado por retrasos en el desarrollo neurobiológico. La actividad física (AF) puede influir en varios de los mecanismos neurocognitivos que también son afectados por el TDAH, por lo tanto, puede considerarse parte del tratamiento y manejo del TDAH. Esta revisión sobre TDAH resumirá estudios que evaluaron AF, aptitud física y coordinación motora. CRITERIOS DE INCLUSIÓN/EXCLUSIÓN: Fueron incluidos artículos sobre AF en la niñez en el espectro de TDAH. RESULTADOS: Estudios transversales: los niños con TDAH  presentan niveles de AF más altos que aquellos niños aparentemente saludables. La niñez coincide con oportunidades para participar en juego libre, pero esta ventaja es reducida durante la adolescencia, en la cual la AF es estructurada y menos inclusiva. Durante la adultez, las personas con TDAH están más propensas a ser obesas y a no adoptar las recomendaciones de estilos de vida saludables. Estudios longitudinales: AF durante etapas tempranas predice la severidad de los síntomas del TDAH en etapas subsecuentes. Otros estudios: la AF moderada de corta duración brinda beneficios neurocognitivos. Los resultados sobre intervenciones de varias semanas difieren según la variable de interés y el grupo con el cual es comparada la intervención. CONCLUSIÓN/IMPLICACIONES: Las intervenciones de AF que retan las habilidades cognitivas y destrezas de movimientos  brindan beneficios a los niños con TDAH. Además, estimulan a niños, niñas y adolescentes a participar en AF estructurada, a cumplir con la recomendación de AF y a incluir AF de corta duración como parte de las rutinas diarias.

THE PROBLEM: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the most common childhood mental health disorder in the United States, is the behavioral manifestation of neurodevelopmental delays. Physical activity (PA) is broadly accessible, culturally acceptable, and influences many of the same neurocognitive systems delayed in ADHD. These factors make PA a potential tool in treatment and management plans. This selective qualitative review synthesizes findings from studies investigating PA, fitness, and motor coordination in ADHD. INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Studies of PA [and related constructs] in youth on the spectrum for ADHD. MAIN RESULTS: Cross-sectional studies suggest children with ADHD evidence similar or higher PA levels than typically developing peers in childhood-a period when most PA is free play-but any advantages dissipate by adolescence, as PA programs become increasingly structured and selective. In adulthood, individuals with ADHD are more likely to be obese and less likely to meet healthy lifestyle guidelines. Longitudinal studies suggest that PA at earlier life stages predicts symptom severity in subsequent stages. Acute bout experiments suggest transient benefits on neurocognitive function following moderate-intensity activity of limited duration. Multi-week intervention studies have tested diverse formats with results that differ based upon the chosen outcome and comparison group utilized. CONCLUSION AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Existing research suggests youth with ADHD may benefit most from PA interventions that challenge cognition and fundamental movement skills in childhood, empower youth to participate in structured programs and meet PA guidelines in adolescence, and strategically time PA bouts to maximize focus during difficult periods of daily routines. RESUMEN PROBLEMA: El trastorno por Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad (TDAH) es caracterizado por retrasos en el desarrollo neurobiológico. La actividad física (AF) puede influir en varios de los mecanismos neurocognitivos que también son afectados por el TDAH, por lo tanto, puede considerarse parte del tratamiento y manejo del TDAH. Esta revisión sobre TDAH resumirá estudios que evaluaron AF, aptitud física y coordinación motora. CRITERIOS DE INCLUSIÓN/EXCLUSIÓN: Fueron incluidos artículos sobre AF en la niñez en el espectro de TDAH. RESULTADOS: Estudios transversales: niños con TDAH presentan niveles de AF más PENSAR EN MOVIMIENTO. Downloaded from www.revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/pem/ only for personal use.Palabras Claves: ejercicio, aptitud física, coordinación motora, salud mental, desarrollo en la niñez COLLOQUIAL SUMMARY:Some children have severe difficulties paying attention, controlling themselves, and sitting still. These are symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Conventional treatments for ADHD are therapy and medication. Findings from a modest number of crosssectional, longitudinal, short bout, and multi-week intervention studies show benefits of physical activity for brain function, thinking, ...