Relationships between fundamental movement skills and objectively measured physical activity in preschool children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Exercise Science
• Motor Development
• Childhood Physical Activity

Background:

• Fundamental movement skills (FMS) are crucial for children's physical activity.
• Understanding gender-specific relationships between FMS and physical activity is important for targeted interventions.
• Previous research has not fully explored gender differences in FMS subdomains and their association with physical activity in preschoolers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine gender differences in the cross-sectional relationships between fundamental movement skill (FMS) subdomains (locomotor skills, object-control skills) and physical activity in preschool children.
• To identify which FMS subdomains are associated with physical activity levels in boys and girls.
• To determine the proportion of variance in physical activity explained by FMS subdomains, considering potential confounders.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 46 preschool children (3-5 years old, 25 boys).
• Fundamental movement skills (FMS) assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development II (TGMD-2).
• Physical activity objectively monitored using Actigraph 7164 accelerometers.

Main Results:

• Among boys, object-control skills were positively associated with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and total physical activity, explaining significant variance.
• Among girls, locomotor skills showed an inverse association with MVPA, explaining significant variance.
• Gender and the specific FMS subdomain significantly influenced the relationship between FMS and physical activity.

Conclusions:

• Gender plays a moderating role in the association between fundamental movement skills and physical activity in preschoolers.
• Object-control skills are key for boys' physical activity, whereas locomotor skills may be inversely related to activity in girls.
• These findings highlight the need for gender-specific approaches in promoting FMS and physical activity in early childhood.