The mechanisms of morphological-motor functioning in elementary school female first- to fourth-graders

Four morphological and 7 motor variables were assessed in a sample of 2,235 female children (subdivided into 4 groups) aged 7-11 years, elementary school first- to fourth-graders from the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Republic of Croatia. The study objective was to analyze the morphological-motor structures according to age. Factor analysis was done for each of the four subject groups. Results clearly showed the morphological-motor functioning of the girls to change with age. Developmental processes lead to the formation of a general morphological factor defined as ectomesomorph and two general mechanisms responsible for motor efficiency in the form of strength regulation and speed regulation. The results obtained were found to be consistent with the existing relevant models related to the morphological, motor, functional and cognitive systems. The more so, these results allow for a supramodel to design, which will integrate relevant elements of all these models to define the function of the body as a whole.