Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026
Using a Virtual Reality Walking Simulator to Investigate Pedestrian Behavior
Published on: June 9, 2020
Sex and age-level differences of walking time in preschool children on an obstacle frame
Kosho Kasuga1, Shin-ichi Demura, Hiroki Aoki
1Kanazawa College of Art, Kodatuno, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8656, Japan.
Insights
Preschool children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric motor development
- Biomechanics of locomotion
- Childhood physical activity
Background:
- Stepping over obstacles is a complex motor skill challenging for young children.
- Understanding age-related differences in obstacle negotiation is crucial for developmental assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex and age-level differences in obstacle course walking time among preschool children.
- To determine if obstacle height influences walking time and dynamic balance in young children.
Main Methods:
- 324 healthy preschool children (4-6 years old) participated.
- Obstacle course included 5 cm and 10 cm high obstacles.
- Walking time was measured under no obstacle, low obstacle, and high obstacle conditions.
Main Results:
- Walking time varied significantly with age, but not sex.
- Younger children (early 4s) took longer to complete the course than older children (5s and 6s).
- A 10 cm obstacle best differentiated dynamic balance in 5- and 6-year-olds.
Conclusions:
- Obstacle course performance in preschool children is primarily age-dependent, not sex-dependent.
- Dynamic balance, assessed by a 10 cm high obstacle, is a key differentiator in older preschoolers.
- The 10 cm high obstacle step test is recommended for evaluating dynamic balance in this age group.
Background:
Stepping over an obstacle is a kind of compound movement that makes walking more difficult, especially for preschool children. This study examines sex and age-level differences in walking time in preschool children on an obstacle frame.
Methods:
The participants included 324 healthy preschool children: four-year-old boys (51) and girls (51), five-year-old boys (50) and girls (60), and six-year-old boys (62) and girls (50). A 5 cm- or 10 cm-high obstacle (depth 11.5 cm, width 23.5 cm) was set at the halfway point of a 200 cm × 10 cm walking course.
Results:
The participants walked to the end of the course and back as fast as possible under three conditions: no obstacle, low obstacle and high obstacle. Walking time showed age-level differences in all conditions, but there were no differences in sex. Age levels were divided into two groups, with one group within the first six months of their birthday, and the second group within the last six months of that year. Walking time for children in the first half of their fourth year was longer than that of the five- and six-year-old children. In addition, for children in the last half of their fourth year, walking time was longer than both sexes in the last half of their fifth and sixth years. The children in the latter half of their fifth year had a longer walking time in the high obstacle condition than those in the last half of their sixth year. In the four-year-old participants, walking time was shorter with no obstacles than with a high obstacle frame.
Conclusions:
In the above data, obstacle course walking time does not show a gender difference, except that the four-year-old participants needed longer than the five- and six-year-old children. Setting the obstacle 10 cm high also produced a different walking time in the five- and six-year-old participants. The high obstacle step test (10 cm) best evaluated the dynamic balance of preschool children.
More Related Videos
06:28Screening People on Standing Balance with Romberg Testing and Walking Balance with Tandem Walking
Published on: September 1, 2023
10:28Kinematics and Ground Reaction Force Determination: A Demonstration Quantifying Locomotor Abilities of Young Adult, Middle-aged, and Geriatric Rats
Published on: February 22, 2011