Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2025
Quantified Assessment of Infant's Gross Motor Abilities Using a Multisensor Wearable
Published on: May 17, 2024
Relationship between Gross Motor Coordination and Health-Related Fitness in Serbian Preschool Children
Nenad Stojiljković1, Nebojša Trajković1, Doroteja Rančić1
1Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Nis, 18000 Nis, Serbia.
Insights
Gross motor coordination is crucial for preschool children's physical fitness. Enhancing these skills early can lead to better health and fitness outcomes throughout life.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Motor Development
- Sports Science
Background:
- Motor coordination and physical fitness are vital for preschool children's health and development.
- Understanding their relationship informs early intervention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between gross motor coordination and health-related physical fitness in preschool children.
- To assess the influence of motor coordination on various physical fitness components.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 139 preschool children.
- Motor coordination assessed using the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK).
- Physical fitness evaluated via the PREFIT test battery (flexibility, strength, speed/agility, cardiorespiratory fitness).
Main Results:
- Significant correlations found between motor coordination and flexibility, muscular strength, speed/agility, and endurance.
- Motor coordination explained a substantial variance (3.2-55%) in physical fitness components.
Conclusions:
- Motor coordination significantly shapes physical fitness in preschool children.
- Early promotion of motor coordination skills is recommended for long-term health and fitness benefits.
Background:
The relationship between motor coordination and physical fitness in preschool children is of significant interest due to its implications for overall health and development. This study aims to investigate the correlation between gross motor coordination, as assessed by the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK), and health-related physical fitness components.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study, involving 139 preschool-aged children, was conducted. Physical fitness was assessed using the PREFIT fitness test battery, which includes measures of flexibility, muscular strength, speed/agility, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Motor coordination was evaluated using the KTK test, comprising four subtests.
Results:
Pearson correlation analysis revealed weak to strong positive and negative correlations between motor coordination and various physical fitness measures, including flexibility (r = 0.402; p = 0.01), muscular strength (r = 0.178; r = 0.487; r = 0.601; p < 0.05), speed/agility (r = -0.742; p = 0.01), and endurance (r = 0.539; p = 0.01). Additionally, hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated significant influence of motor coordination on physical fitness, explaining a notable percentage of the variance across different fitness components (3.2-55%).
Conclusions:
The findings underscore the importance of motor coordination in shaping physical fitness levels in preschool children. Promoting motor coordination skills early in childhood may have long-term benefits for overall health and fitness.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Hierarchy of Motor Control
01:24Muscle Coordination and Action
Agonists
Agonist muscles, often called prime movers, are the primary muscles responsible for producing a specific movement....