Movement competence: Association with physical self-efficacy and physical activity

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Sports Science
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Understanding factors influencing children's physical activity is crucial for public health.
• Movement competence and physical self-efficacy are recognized determinants of physical activity.
• The mediating role of physical self-efficacy in the movement competence-physical activity relationship requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine if physical self-efficacy mediates the relationship between movement competence and physical activity in children.
• To differentiate the mediating roles of fundamental movement skills and perceived movement skill competence.

Main Methods:

• 860 children (mean age 10.9 years) completed validated measures of physical self-efficacy, fundamental movement skills, perceived movement skill competence, and physical activity.
• Bootstrap mediation analysis was used to test the proposed mediation model.
• Movement competence (fundamental movement skills and perceived skill competence) was the predictor, physical activity the outcome, and physical self-efficacy the mediator.

Main Results:

• Physical self-efficacy significantly mediated the relationship between movement competence and physical activity, explaining 10.3% of the variance in physical activity.
• The indirect effect of perceived movement skill competence via physical self-efficacy was stronger than that of fundamental movement skills.
• Neither sex nor age moderated the observed mediation effects.

Conclusions:

• Movement competence provides information that shapes children's physical self-efficacy.
• Physical self-efficacy acts as a crucial mediator in the pathway from movement competence to physical activity.
• Interventions should focus on enhancing overall movement competence to positively impact children's physical activity levels.