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Normative values of motor performance and their relationship with BMI status in Hong Kong preschoolers
Ka-Man Yip1, Hung-Kwan So1, Keith T S Tung1
1Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
Insights
This study established motor performance (MP) reference values for Hong Kong preschoolers. Boys excelled in strength, girls in balance, and overweight children showed poorer performance in key motor skills.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Motor Development
- Anthropometry
Background:
- Establishing normative data for motor performance (MP) is crucial for assessing child development.
- Understanding the influence of age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) on MP is essential for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine sex- and age-specific reference values for motor performance in Hong Kong preschoolers (3-5 years).
- To investigate the relationship between motor performance and Body Mass Index (BMI) status in this population.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 5579 Hong Kong preschoolers.
- Administered three motor performance tests and collected height and weight data.
- Utilized Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale and Shape (GAMLSS) for normative value computation.
Main Results:
- Boys demonstrated superior performance in muscle strength and power tasks; girls excelled in balance and coordination.
- Motor performance scores generally increased with age, with notable differences in one-leg balance percentiles for older children.
- Children with excessive weight exhibited poorer performance in standing long jump and one-leg balance compared to healthy-weight peers.
Conclusions:
- Provides essential sex- and age-specific motor performance reference values for Hong Kong preschoolers.
- Highlights significant associations between BMI status and motor skill development.
- Emphasizes the need for promoting motor skill development, especially in overweight and obese preschoolers.
Abstract:
This study aimed to establish sex- and age-specific reference values for motor performance (MP) in Hong Kong preschoolers aged 3-5 years old and examine the relationship between MP and BMI status. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 5579 preschoolers in Hong Kong. Three MP tests were administered, and height and weight information were collected. GAMLSS was used to compute the normative values of the motor tests. Boys outperformed girls in activities requiring muscle strength and power, while girls outperformed boys in activities requiring balance and coordination. The MP scores increased with age for both overarm beanbag throw and standing long jump for both sexes, while the one-leg balance scores showed larger differences between P50 and P95 in older preschoolers. Children with excessive weight performed worse in standing long jump and one-leg balance compared to their healthy weight peers. This study provides valuable information on the MP of preschoolers in Hong Kong, including sex- and age-specific reference values and the association between BMI status and MP scores. These findings can serve as a reference for future studies and clinical practice and highlight the importance of promoting motor skill development in preschoolers, particularly those who are overweight or obese.
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