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Postural Stability, Rather than Strength-Coordination, Is Associated with Executive Functions in Preschool Children:
Andrés Godoy-Cumillaf1, Josivaldo de Souza-Lima2, Frano Giakoni-Ramírez2
1Grupo de Investigación en Educación Física, Salud y Calidad de Vida (EFISAL), Facultad de Educación, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Temuco 4780000, Chile.
Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
In preschool children, better postural stability is linked to stronger executive functions. Physical activity supports balance, while higher waist circumference hinders it, indirectly affecting cognitive skills.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
Background:
- Executive functions and motor skills develop rapidly in early childhood.
- The specific links between different motor domains and executive functions are not well understood.
- This study investigates these relationships in preschool-aged children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the associations between executive functions, motor performance (postural stability and strength-coordination), physical activity, and waist circumference in preschoolers.
- To utilize structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze these complex relationships.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 364 preschool children (aged 4-7 years) in Temuco, Chile.
- Executive functions assessed via the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI).
- Motor performance evaluated using PREFIT and Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2; physical activity measured by Krece Plus; waist circumference recorded. SEM was employed for analysis, controlling for age and sex.
Main Results:
- The SEM model demonstrated good fit to the data.
- Postural stability showed a significant association with executive functions (β = -0.268, p = 0.016), but strength-coordination did not.
- Physical activity positively predicted postural stability (β = 0.099, p = 0.024), while waist circumference negatively predicted it (β = -0.095, p = 0.032). An indirect link between waist circumference and executive functions via postural stability was found.
Conclusions:
- Executive functioning in preschoolers is more strongly associated with postural stability than general strength-coordination.
- Findings suggest that balance-related motor skills may play a role in the development of executive functions in early childhood.
- Further longitudinal and experimental research is recommended to confirm the directionality of these associations.
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