Variations in Manual Dexterity in 11- and 12-Year-Old Children in the North of Spain in the SARS-CoV-2 Lockdown

Abstract: Between March and June 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 virus broke out in Spain. The lockdown

in response entailed the modification of certain habits in the infant–juvenile population, such as

those related to the practice of physical activity and the implications derived from it. The aim of this

study was to learn the impacts that lockdown had on manual dexterity in children aged 11–12 years.

Methods: A total of 50 Spanish children aged 11–12 years (M = 11.40; SD = 0.50) participated, 33 (66%)

boys and 17 (34%) girls. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2 (Movement ABC-2) and an

ad hoc questionnaire for socio-demographic data and other relevant information were administered

for the data collection. Results: There are significant differences (p < 0.05) in the results for the manual

dexterity variables measured by the peg turning and line drawing tests as well as by the measured,

scalar and percentile dimension scores for manual dexterity between before and after the lockdown

in both boys and girls. No significant differences were found in measurements related to the triangle

assembly variable (p = 0.125). Conclusions: A significant negative impact of SARS-CoV-2 lockdown

on manual dexterity values was evident in boys and girls aged 11–12 years.