Behavioral Mechanism of Mental Health Among Hispanic Children

• In Event: 14.044 - Roundtable Session 1
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Abstract

Guided by Blair et al.’s (2001) health model, the purpose of the study was to examine the behavioral mechanism of mental health including physical, psychosocial, and cognitive health among Hispanic kindergarteners. A prospective research design was used across one academic year. A total of 141 Hispanic kindergarteners (Meanage = 5.37, SD = .48) were recruited in Texas. Bootstrapping analyses support the statistical significance of indirect effects of motor proficiency on mental health outcomes through MVPA (95% CI [.025, .128]), and sedentary behavior (95% CI [.046, .221]), respectively. Better understanding of the early effects of motor proficiency on health-related behaviors and outcomes may lead to more effective primary prevention, and better determine the deleterious mechanisms of mental health problem among Hispanic children.

Author

• Xiangli Gu, Univeristy of North Texas