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Identifying a motor proficiency barrier for meeting physical activity guidelines in children
An De Meester1, David Stodden2, Jacqueline Goodway3
1Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium.
Insights
Children with low motor competence (MC) are less likely to meet daily physical activity guidelines. Developing actual MC is crucial for children to achieve recommended moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric exercise science
- Motor development research
- Public health and physical activity
Background:
- Childhood physical activity is essential for health, yet many children fail to meet daily guidelines.
- Motor competence (MC) is a key factor influencing physical activity, but a specific proficiency barrier remains unclear.
- Understanding the relationship between actual MC and meeting physical activity guidelines is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if a threshold exists for actual motor competence (MC) below which children are unlikely to achieve 60 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).
- To examine the relationship between actual MC levels and the likelihood of children meeting MVPA guidelines.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 326 children (ages 9.50±1.24 years).
- Actual MC assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2; MVPA measured via accelerometers.
- Binary logistic regression and chi-squared tests analyzed the association between actual MC and meeting MVPA guidelines.
Main Results:
- Actual motor competence (MC) significantly predicted the percentage of children meeting MVPA guidelines (p<.001).
- Children in the 65-100th percentile for actual MC were 2.46 times more likely to meet MVPA guidelines than those in the 0-27th percentile (p=.003).
- Perceived MC did not mediate the relationship between actual MC and MVPA.
Conclusions:
- Evidence suggests a 'proficiency barrier' in actual motor competence (MC) impacts children's ability to meet daily MVPA guidelines.
- Approximately 90% of children with below-average actual MC do not meet MVPA recommendations.
- Interventions promoting the development of actual MC are vital to help children achieve recommended physical activity levels.
Objectives:
This study examined the existence of a threshold level (proficiency barrier) of actual motor competence (MC) below which a child is not likely to attain 60min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day.
Design:
A cross-sectional study.
Methods:
Actual MC was assessed in 326 children (48.5% boys; age=9.50±1.24years) using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2; MVPA was measured with ActiGraph GT3X+accelerometers. Perceived MC, included as a potential mediating variable, was assessed with the Self-Perception Profile for Children. Binary logistic (mediation) regression analyses controlling for sex and a chi-squared test were used to gain insight into the relationship between (the levels of) actual MC and the percentage of children meeting the MVPA guideline.
Results:
Actual MC significantly predicted the percentage of children meeting the guideline (B=.03, SE=.01, p<.001), even when controlling for sex. Perceived MC did not mediate this relationship. Children with high actual MC (65-100 percentile) were 2.46 (p=.003) times more likely to meet the guideline than children with low actual MC (0-27 percentile).
Conclusions:
The present study demonstrates the potential impact of low MC on children's MVPA levels and suggests evidence for the existence of a proficiency barrier for meeting MVPA guidelines. Almost 90% of the children whose actual MC is below the 'average' threshold do not meet the MVPA guideline. As more children with higher levels of actual MC meet the guideline than their less competent peers, it is crucial to provide opportunities to sufficiently develop children's actual MC.
