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Sex differences in 3- to 5-year-old children's motor competence: A pooled cross-sectional analysis of 6241 children
Clarice Martins1,2, Elizabeth K Webster3, Vicente Romo-Perez4
1Research Centre in Physical activity, Health and Leisure, and Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Insights
Preschoolers
Area of Science:
- Pediatric motor development
- Child psychology
- Sex differences in development
Background:
- Inconsistent evidence exists regarding sex differences in preschoolers' motor competence (MC).
- Previous studies have not uniformly addressed age and cultural variations in these differences.
- Understanding these nuances is crucial for targeted developmental interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in motor competence (MC) across various ages in 3- to 5-year-old children.
- To identify age-specific patterns in locomotor and ball skills between boys and girls.
- To pinpoint critical developmental periods for motor skill acquisition.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a large, cross-country pooled sample of 6241 children aged 3-5 years.
- Assessed motor competence using the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-2/3).
- Employed multiple linear regression, predictive margins, and Chow's Test to analyze sex and age effects on MC.
Main Results:
- Girls showed superior locomotor skills at specific ages (57-59 and 66-68 months).
- Boys generally excelled in ball skills, with exceptions at 42-44 and 45-47 months.
- A significant developmental breakpoint for MC improvement was identified between 45-47 months of age.
Conclusions:
- Sex differences in preschoolers' motor competence are age-dependent and skill-specific.
- The 45-47 month period is critical for rapid motor skill advancement in children.
- Identifying this breakpoint aids in detecting early motor development delays.
Abstract:
There is some, albeit inconsistent, evidence supporting sex differences in preschoolers' motor competence (MC), with these observations not uniform when analyzed by age, and cultural groups. Thus, this study examined sex differences across ages in 3- to 5-year-old children's MC. A cross-country pooled sample of 6241 children aged 3-5 years (49.6% girls) was assessed for MC using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2nd/3rd edition, and children were categorized into groups of age in months. Multiple linear regression models and predictive margins were calculated to explore how sex and age in months affect scores of MC (i.e., locomotor and ball skills), with adjustments for country and BMI. The Chow's Test was used to test for the presence of a structural break in the data. Significant differences in favor of girls were seen at 57-59 and 66-68 months of age for locomotor skills; boys performed better in ball skills in all age periods, except for 42-44 and 45-47 months of age. The higher marginal effects were observed for the period between 45-47 and 48-50 months for locomotor skills (F = 30.21; and F = 25.90 for girls and boys, respectively), and ball skills (F = 19.01; and F = 42.11 for girls and boys, respectively). A significantly positive break point was seen at 45-47 months, highlighting the age interval where children's MC drastically improved. The identification of this breakpoint provides an evidence-based metric for when we might expect MC to rapidly increase, and an indicator of early delay when change does not occur at that age.
