A School-Based Screening Tool for Adolescents With Low Motor Coordination Abilities

Area of Science:

• Kinesiology
• Developmental Psychology
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Identifying motor coordination deficits in adolescents is crucial for early intervention.
• Existing assessments may not be optimally efficient for school-based screening.
• The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOTMP-2) is a comprehensive tool, but its application in large-scale screening needs refinement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To select the most relevant test items from the BOTMP-2 and health-related fitness tests.
• To identify an efficient battery for screening school-aged teenagers (13-14 years) with poor motor coordination.
• To determine key factors contributing to motor proficiency and fitness in this age group.

Main Methods:

• Factor analysis was performed on scores from 241 adolescents (144 boys, 97 girls, aged 13-14).
• Participants completed the short form of the BOTMP-2 and six additional fitness tests (medicine ball, broad jump, handgrip, ball toss, agility run, Chester step).
• Data reduction techniques were used to identify meaningful and useful test items.

Main Results:

• Four factors explained 45% of the variance: gross motor skills and power, fine motor skills, core strength and balance, and general body strength.
• Specific tests contributing to these factors included broad jump, hand ball toss, shuttle run, sit-ups, copying a star, maze following, paper folding, push-ups, hopping, balance beam, medicine ball throw, and handgrip.
• The broad jump, copying a star, hopping, handgrip strength, aerobic fitness, and wall ball toss were highlighted as particularly effective screening items.

Conclusions:

• An efficient school-based screening battery for 13-14-year-old adolescents should assess gross motor skills, fine motor skills, core strength, and general body strength.
• Specific tests like the broad jump, star copying, hopping, handgrip, aerobic fitness, and wall ball toss are recommended for screening fitness and coordination.
• These findings can inform the development of targeted interventions for adolescents with motor coordination difficulties.