Relationship between visual skills and physical activity practice in children

Abstract

Relevance: There is substantial evidence affirming the benefits of engaging in sports activities on the physical, mental, and cognitive health of children. The latest guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020, for children aged 5 to 17, recommend 60 minutes of physical activity per day, and advise incorporating vigorous physical activity for at least 3 hours a week.
Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine if engaging in sports activities according to WHO recommendations has positive effects on the visual system of children.
Methods: Fifty-six students, 31 girls and 25 boys, with an average age of 8.84±0.37 years, were recruited. They underwent a visual assessment consisting of visual acuity, ocular motility, visual reaction time, and hand-eye coordination. Each student was asked about the amount of physical activity they engaged in per week. The sample was divided into groups based on the amount of exercise they performed (>3 hours/week or <3 hours/week) and whether they competed at a federated level. Data were analyzed using SPSS via t-tests.
Results: Significant differences were found in the motility of children who engaged in sports for more than 3 hours per week, with their motility being more precise. Students who competed in a sports discipline scored higher in tracking movements. No statistically significant differences were found for the remaining variables, including gender and age.
Conclusions: According to the results obtained, engaging in physical activity following WHO recommendations also benefits the visual system of children, improving their ocular motility. Whether children compete or not also leads to improvements in ocular motility.