Have the Fundamental Movement Skills of U.S. Children Changed?

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Motor Skill Acquisition
• Public Health

Background:

• Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) are crucial for children's physical activity and health.
• Tracking FMS development over time is essential for understanding population-level trends.
• Previous research indicates varying FMS levels, but long-term national trends require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze changes in U.S. children's Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) between 1985 and 2019.
• To identify trends in FMS across different age groups within this timeframe.
• To investigate potential associations between FMS and demographic factors.

Main Methods:

• Utilized four national data sets, including three Tests of Gross Motor Development (TGMD) normative studies (TGMD-1, TGMD-2, TGMD-3) and the 2012 NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey (NNYFS-2012).
• Standardized data by comparing TGMD-2/NNYFS and TGMD-3 items against TGMD-1 criteria, excluding non-matching items.
• Employed Cohen's D effect size (ES) to quantify year-to-year differences in FMS.

Main Results:

• From 1985-2000, FMS increased in 3-7-year-olds (90% increase) but remained stable in 8-10-year-olds.
• Between 2000-2019, a slight decrease in FMS was observed in 3-5-year-olds (22% decrease), and a significant decline in 6-10-year-olds (80% decrease).
• Children with normal Body Mass Index (BMI) exhibited the highest FMS scores, though the direct cause of FMS decline remains undetermined.

Conclusions:

• U.S. children's FMS demonstrated an overall fluctuating pattern between 1985 and 2019.
• A notable decline in FMS occurred in younger children (6-10 years) from 2000 to 2019.
• Further longitudinal research incorporating FMS-related variables is recommended to understand these trends better.