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Association between Physical Activity and Fundamental Movement Skills in Preschool-Aged Children: Does Perceived
Qing He1, Johan Y Y Ng1, John Cairney2
1Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China.
Insights
Perceived fundamental movement skills (FMS) competence did not mediate the link between actual FMS and physical activity (PA) in preschoolers. However, reciprocal pathways between actual FMS and PA highlight the need for simultaneous development in early childhood.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Motor Skill Acquisition
- Physical Activity Promotion
Background:
- Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) are crucial for physical activity (PA) participation.
- Understanding the role of perceived competence in FMS is essential for early childhood interventions.
- Previous research suggests a link between actual FMS, perceived FMS, and PA, but mediation effects require further investigation in preschool populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if perceived fundamental movement skills (FMS) competence mediates the relationship between actual FMS and physical activity (PA).
- To examine the direct and indirect effects of actual FMS on PA through perceived FMS competence in Hong Kong preschoolers.
- To explore reciprocal pathways between actual FMS and PA in early childhood.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 148 preschool-aged children (mean age 4.52 years).
- Actual FMS assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2.
- Perceived FMS competence measured via the Pictorial Scale for Perceived Movement Skill Competence.
- Physical activity (PA) objectively measured using accelerometry.
- Mediation analyses employed a bootstrap method, adjusting for sex and age.
Main Results:
- A significant direct pathway was found between actual FMS and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).
- A significant reciprocal pathway was observed between MVPA and actual FMS.
- Perceived FMS competence did not significantly mediate the relationship between actual FMS and MVPA.
Conclusions:
- Reciprocal relationships exist between actual FMS and MVPA in preschool-aged children.
- Simultaneous targeting of FMS and PA is recommended for developmental strategies in early childhood.
- Perceived movement skill competence does not play a significant mediating role in this age group, unlike in adolescence.
Objectives:
The purpose of this research is to examine whether perceived fundamental movement skills (FMS) competence mediated the relationship between actual FMS and physical activity (PA) in Hong Kong preschool-aged children.
Design:
A cross-sectional study.
Methods:
148 preschool-aged children (43% girls; mean age = 4.52 ± 0.67 years) from five preschools/childcare centres completed all assessments. Actual FMS was rated using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2, whilst perceived FMS was assessed via the Pictorial Scale for Perceived Movement Skill Competence. PA was measured through accelerometry. A bootstrap method was used to assess the potential mediating effect of perceived movement skill competence on the relationship between actual FMS and PA. All mediation models were adjusted for sex and age.
Results:
Mediation analyses showed that the direct path between actual FMS and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was significant (b = 0.228, p = 0.008), as was the path between MVPA and actual FMS (b = 0.214, p = 0.008). However, perceived FMS competence did not mediate the association between actual FMS and MVPA in the models.
Conclusions:
Our results showed evidence of reciprocal pathways between actual FMS and MVPA, reinforcing the need to simultaneously target both domains as part of broader developmental strategies, initiated in early childhood. Unlike emergent adolescence, perceptions of movement skill competence do not play a significant role in influencing the relationship between actual FMS proficiency and MVPA in this developmental period.
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