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Published on: January 12, 2019
Skeletal maturation, fundamental motor skills and motor coordination in children 7-10 years
Duarte L Freitas1, Berthold Lausen, José António Maia
1a Department of Physical Education and Sports , University of Madeira , Funchal , Portugal.
Insights
Skeletal age has a negligible impact on fundamental motor skills and gross motor coordination in children aged 7-10 years. This finding suggests that biological maturation does not significantly influence motor development in this age group.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric physical development
- Motor skill acquisition
- Childhood kinesiology
Background:
- Fundamental motor skills and gross motor coordination are crucial for children's physical activity and overall development.
- Skeletal maturation, a measure of biological age, may influence motor development, but its precise role in school-aged children is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between skeletal age and fundamental motor skills and gross motor coordination in children aged 7-10 years.
- To determine if skeletal age, independent of or interacting with body size, affects motor skill development.
Main Methods:
- Assessed skeletal age using the Tanner-Whitehouse 2 method in 429 children (213 boys, 216 girls) aged 7-10 years.
- Measured stature, body mass, motor coordination (KTK), and fundamental motor skills (TGMD-2).
- Analyzed relationships using hierarchical multiple regression, considering chronological age, skeletal age residuals, and body size.
Main Results:
- Skeletal age, alone or interacting with stature and body mass, explained a maximum of 7.0% of the variance in motor skills and coordination beyond body size.
- Skeletal age alone accounted for a maximum of 9.0% of the variance in motor skills and coordination beyond body size and its interactions.
Conclusions:
- Skeletal age has a negligible influence on fundamental motor skills and gross motor coordination in children aged 7-10 years.
- Body size and its interactions appear to be more significant factors in motor development than skeletal maturation in this age group.
Abstract:
Relationships between skeletal maturation and fundamental motor skills and gross motor coordination were evaluated in 429 children (213 boys and 216 girls) 7-10 years. Skeletal age was assessed (Tanner-Whitehouse 2 method), and stature, body mass, motor coordination (Körperkoordinations Test für Kinder, KTK) and fundamental motor skills (Test of Gross Motor Development, TGMD-2) were measured. Relationships among chronological age, skeletal age (expressed as the standardised residual of skeletal age on chronological age) and body size and fundamental motor skills and motor coordination were analysed with hierarchical multiple regression. Standardised residual of skeletal age on chronological age interacting with stature and body mass explained a maximum of 7.0% of the variance in fundamental motor skills and motor coordination over that attributed to body size per se. Standardised residual of skeletal age on chronological age alone accounted for a maximum of 9.0% of variance in fundamental motor skills, and motor coordination over that attributed to body size per se and interactions between standardised residual of skeletal age on chronological age and body size. In conclusion, skeletal age alone or interacting with body size has a negligible influence on fundamental motor skills and motor coordination in children 7-10 years.
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