Meet the editor

Dr. Lucy-Joy Wachira is a scholar of physical activity and exercise science and a full-time faculty in the Department of Physical Education, Exercise and Sports Science, Kenyatta University, Kenya. She has more than 12 years of university teaching experience. She has been a Fulbright Visiting Scholar-In-Residence in the Department of Kinesiology, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA. Dr. Wachira's research interests

include physical activity among children and the prevention of obesity-related noncommunicable Diseases. She has participated in several international collaborative research projects. She is an author of book chapters, an editorial board member of the *Journal of Physical Activity and Health*, a guest editor for *Frontiers in Public Health*, and a peer reviewer for several refereed journals.

## Contents


Preface

Regardless of gender, social class, cultural orientation, environmental influence, or ability, children have an innate need to play, irrespective of whether it is a formal or an informal mode. As professionals in this area, it is our responsibility to ensure the availability and provision of enjoyable conducive opportunities and environments that not only promote fitness but also nurture, develop, and perfect skills for optimal sports performance. Many books have presented and described basic concepts and general literature concerning physical activity, physical fitness, and sports among children and youth. However, current evidence and reviews targeting specialized programmes and interventions reveal a need for additional literature on topical issues which could provide important new information to support practitioners, future programmes, and possibly be applied in other settings. This book presents a rich mix of topics linked to physical activity and fitness among children and youth that

Chapter 1 is a chapter on physical activity, fitness, and cognitive function in children and adolescents seeks to clarify the less understood influences of participation in physical activity on cognitive function at different stages of development. The authors note that specific effects of physical activity vary by intensity, mode, volume, and domain. They also summarize the relevant literature by linking empirical research to school and community settings. The chapter concludes that comprehensive approaches across multiple settings, offering opportunities to participate in physical activity, have the most significant potential for enhancing cognitive health among

Studies have increasingly focused on the role of motor skill development on performance and the well-being of children with disabilities. Chapter 2 is a review chapter comparing the motor proficiency between children with typical development and children with autism spectrum disorder focuses on typical and atypical motor development. The chapter authors present proposals for improving the motor development

Chapter 3 reminds us that over the last few decades, decreasing physical activity and increasing sedentary lifestyles have been associated with the progressive decline in physical fitness in children and adolescents. The authors investigate the evolution of fitness in adolescents by comparing the status of both muscular strength and body mass index (BMI) in 1990 with that of 2020. The study concludes that there is a need to assess and monitor physical fitness, as a health status indicator, in adolescents.

In cognizance of the global increase in vitamin D3 Deficiency associated with several health challenges likely to compromise performance in physical activity and sports, a chapter in this book highlights the role of vitamin D and its deficiency and implications on physical activity and sports performance. Chapter 4 focuses on children and adolescents, who are at a prime age for foundational development of motor function,

augments existing literature.

children and adolescents.

of children and young people with autism.
