(Press-News.org) Young adolescents, especially boys, who participated in organized sports between ages 6 and 10 are less likely to defy their parents, teachers and other authority figures, a new study by researchers in Canada and Italy suggests.
“Oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD) is often under-diagnosed and can co-occur with other developmental disorders," said the study's lead author Matteo Privitera, a doctoral student at the University of Pavia (UofP), supervised by Linda Pagani, a professor at Université de Montréal's School of Psycho-Education.
"Symptoms of the disorder include persistent patterns of irritability, defiance and hostility toward authority figures," he said. "The disorder is over-represented by boys and often accompanies other neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD and learning disabilities."
Importantly, "these behaviours can interfere with learning, relationships and long-term mental health," he added. "In our study, we wanted to look into the symptoms and try to identify accessible, community-based strategies that foster more adaptive behaviour in children.”
Privitera and his research team examined data from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, a population-based cohort of children born in 1997 or 1998 whose data is curated by the Institut de la statistique du Québec.
The study focused on 1,492 boys and girls who participated in organized extracurricular sports between ages 6 and 10. At ages 10 and 12, the same children self-reported on symptoms of oppositional-defiant behaviour.
Those sports included any supervised by an adult (coach or instructor), structured according to established rules, practised in a group and involving a competitive element. Factors such as family income, maternal education and the child's behavioral profiles were considered and their influence was accounted for in the analyses.
Fewer symptoms in boys
“Boys who consistently participated in organized sport showed significantly fewer subsequent oppositional-defiant symptoms at both ages compared to boys with low or inconsistent participation,” said Privitera. “Sport may serve as a natural and influential context for learning self-regulation, cooperation and respect for rules.”
The research team, which included fellow UdeM doctoral candidate Kianoush Harandian and UofP professors Luca Correale and Laura Fusar-Poli, used conservative longitudinal statistical procedures to estimate prospective associations, while adjusting for early childhood behavioural symptoms and family background.
No significant associations between sport and ODD were found for girls. This was not surprising given that boys generally show more oppositional behavior in middle childhood, the researchers said.
“Our findings support the idea that structured extracurricular activities can promote behavioural resilience,” said Harandian. “Sport offers a supervised and socially engaging environment that may help boys internalize adaptive behavioural norms.”
The study has implications for public-health and education policies, Pagani added.
“Encouraging sustained sport participation in middle childhood may reduce the burden of disruptive behaviour disorders and support long-term well-being," she said. "It’s a simple, actionable strategy with benefits for families, schools and communities."
About this study
"Game changer: how middle childhood sport predicts reduced oppositional-defiant behavior by early adolescence," by Matteo Privitera, Linda Pagani et al., was published Dec. 9, 2025 in European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
Matteo Privitera, lead author of the study, is affiliated with the Department of Public Health, Experimental Medicine and Forensic Sciences and the Human Locomotion Lab at the University of Pavia. Co-authors include Kianoush Harandian (École de Psychoéducation, Université de Montréal), Luca Correale (Public Health, Experimental Medicine and Forensic Sciences, University of Pavia), Laura Fusar-Poli (Psychiatry, University of Pavia), and Linda S. Pagani (École de Psychoéducation, Université de Montréal).
About Université de Montréal
Deeply rooted in Montreal and dedicated to its international mission, Université de Montréal ranks among the top universities worldwide. With its affiliated schools, Polytechnique Montréal and HEC Montréal, UdeM attracts over $700 million in research funding every year, making it one of the top three university research hubs in Canada. UdeM has more than 69,000 students, 2,300 professors and researchers, and an active global network of 450,000 alumni.
About University of Pavia
Founded in 1361, the University of Pavia (Università degli Studi di Pavia) is one of the oldest universities in Europe. With a strong tradition of excellence in research and teaching, it offers 85-degree programs across 18 departments and hosts a vibrant international academic community. The university has been home to renowned scholars such as Alessandro Volta and Camillo Golgi and continues to foster innovation through interdisciplinary collaboration and global partnerships. Located in the historic city of Pavia, it ranks among Italy’s top institutions for internationalization and research impact.
END
LOS ANGELES — Researchers from City of Hope®, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States with its National Medical Center ranked among the nation’s top cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report, presented scientific results on novel therapies, treatment strategies, and approaches to managing side effects and complications for blood cancer patients at the 2025 American Society of Hematology (ASH) conference in Orlando, Florida, held Dec. 6 to 9.
City of Hope was involved in one ASH plenary. In addition, its scientists ...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EMBARGOED UNTIL DECEMBER 8, 2025
Research Aims to Strengthen the Security of In-Person Voting Machines
New study on election security evaluates potential vulnerabilities
in widely used Precinct Count Optical Scanners
Washington, D.C., December 8, 2025 – About 70% of Americans voted in person in the 2024 presidential election, their ballots counted by machines called Precinct Count Optical Scanners (PCOS). Researchers at Towson University have systematically analyzed thousands ...
Washington, D.C. December 8, 2025 -- A new statewide spatial analysis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) has uncovered significant disparities in Maryland’s rural communities, offering a striking example of how healthcare accessibility is shaping health outcomes across the United States.
More than 90% of larger hospitals are located in urban areas, leaving rural hospitals with fewer resources and very small operating margins. One of the biggest challenges is the shortage of doctors, nurses, and specialists trained in Alzheimer's and dementia care, who are concentrated in urban centers. As a result, ...
MIAMI, FLORIDA (EMBARGOED UNTIL DEC. 8, 2025, AT 6 P.M. EST) – A new national study shows for the first time that people exposed to Agent Orange face a higher risk of developing myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), tend to develop it earlier, and often have more aggressive disease that is more likely to progress to acute myeloid leukemia. The study was co-led by researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Many veterans and doctors have long questioned whether Agent Orange exposure ...
Two clinical studies demonstrate high response rates by patients with two hard-to-treat and aggressive blood cancers
Pivekimab sunirine (PVEK) targets the CD123 antigen, which is overexpressed in both diseases
Frontline triplet regimen including PVEK shows promise for hard-to-treat AML in patients who are not eligible for intensive chemotherapy
PVEK monotherapy demonstrates strong responses, enables stem cell transplant for high-risk subgroup of BPDCN patients
ORLANDO, DECEMBER 8, 2025 – Researchers from The ...
Alexandria, VA, USA – Members of the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) have elected George Belibasakis, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden to serve as Vice-president. His term will commence at the conclusion of the 104th General Session of the IADR, which will be held in conjunction with the 55th Annual Meeting of the AADOCR and the 50th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, from March 25-28, 2026 in San Diego, CA, USA.
Belibasakis is currently Professor of Clinical Oral Infection Biology, Head of the Division of Oral Health and Periodontology, and Head of Research at the Department of Dental Medicine, ...
Quantum technologies from ultrasensitive sensors to next-generation information processors depend on the ability of quantum bits, or qubits, to maintain their delicate quantum states for a sufficiently long time to be useful.
One of the most important measures of this stability is the spin coherence time. Unfortunately, qubits may lose coherence because their environment is “noisy,” for example, due to the presence of nuclear isotopes or other interference that disturbs the qubit.
Two-dimensional (2D) materials—or atomically thin sheets—can offer quiet environments for qubits, as their reduced thickness naturally lowers the number of isotopes that interact ...
University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies announces a new white paper, “Leadership Opportunities for Increasing Employee Value through Artificial Intelligence,” authored by Andrew C. Lawlor, PhD, and Pamayla E. Darbyshire, DHA, MSN/CNS, both Fellows at the Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research (CEITR). The paper examines how leaders can use AI, especially generative AI, to address skills gaps, restore worker autonomy, and shift employees from repetitive tasks to higher-value activities.
The authors draw upon the University’s Career Optimism Index® study and other current research, ...
MIAMI, FLORIDA (EMBARGOED UNTIL DEC. 8, 2025, AT 4:30 P.M. EST) – A new clinical trial suggests that pairing bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates with CAR T-cell therapy may sharply boost one-year progression-free survival for people with aggressive lymphoma.
In just a few years, treatment options for aggressive lymphoma have rapidly advanced. However, many patients show a consistent pattern: powerful new therapies act quickly but often fail to keep the lymphoma at bay permanently, says Jay Spiegel, M.D., a transplant and cellular therapy physician at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Spiegel ...
A groundbreaking new treatment using genome-edited immune cells, developed by scientists at UCL (University College London) and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), has shown promising results in helping children and adults fight a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer called T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL).
The world-first gene therapy (BE-CAR7) uses base-edited immune cells to treat previously untreatable T-cell leukaemia and help patients achieve remission, offering new hope for families facing this aggressive cancer. Base-editing is an advanced version of CRISPR technology, that can precisely change single ...
