Public seminar - Physical Activity and Nutrition

This public seminar hosted by the University of Newcastle Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition presents Associate Professor Leah Robinson from the University of Michigan, USA.

Promoting activity and trajectories of health for children with CHAMP: an 'evidence-based' intervention

Associate Professor Leah Robinson, FACSM

University of Michigan, USA

Fundamental motor skills (FMS) are critical to children’s overall growth and development. Evidence supports that young children with inadequate FMS demonstrate low levels of physical activity and an unhealthy weight status. A common misconception is that FMS are innate, but these skills must be taught, practiced, and reinforced through developmental appropriate movement programs. During this lecture, Dr. Robinson will discuss CHAMP (the Children’s Health Activity Motor Program) an evidence–based intervention that promotes motor skills, self-perceptions, and physical activity in preschool- and school-age children. CHAMP is theoretically grounded in Achievement Goal Theory and Motivational Climates. The overarching goal of CHAMP is to promote movement while motivating children to be physically active and ensure that they enter school healthy, active, and ready to learn.

Leah E. Robinson is an Associate Professor of Movement Science in the School of Kinesiology and Research Associate Professor in the Center for Human Growth and Development at the University of Michigan. She is a Fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine. She completed a Doctorate of Philosophy in Sport and Exercise Science at The Ohio State University. Her research agenda takes a developmental perspective to three complementary areas: motor skill acquisition, physical activity, and developmental health in preschool and school-age children. Specifically, she seeks to maximize physical activity and motor skills in pediatric populations through the design and implementation of evidence-based interventions (i.e., CHAMP). Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

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