Integration of coordination into the morphological-motor system in male children aged 7-11 years

The study objective was to analyze the integration of psychomotor coordination into other dimensions evaluated. Four morphologic variables (stature, body mass, forearm circumference and triceps skinfold) and 7 motor variables (hand tapping, standing jump, sit-ups, forward bow, bent arm hang, 3-min run and polygon backward) were assessed in a sample of 2205 male children (subdivided into 4 groups) aged 7-11 years, elementary school first- to fourth-graders from the Primorje - Gorski Kotar County, Republic of Croatia. Relations between the set of morphologic-motor variables and the coordination variable (of backward polygon) as a criterion were analyzed Data were processed by use of regression analysis. Study results clearly indicated the values of the criterion variable (coordination) to rise and the criterion prediction using the set of variables to improve with age. Explosive strength, movement frequency and static strength were the best positive criterion predictors, whereas body weight at age 7-10, and skeletal longitudinality and subcutaneous adipose tissue at age 10-11 were the best negative criterion predictors. Also, developmental characteristics of coordination were found to be a major determinant on programming the work in kinesiologic education of elementary school children.