Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 17, 2025

Quantified Assessment of Infant's Gross Motor Abilities Using a Multisensor Wearable
09:24

Quantified Assessment of Infant's Gross Motor Abilities Using a Multisensor Wearable

Published on: May 17, 2024

1.6K

Developmental Changes in Motor Competence: The Influence of Physical Activity and BMI Percentile

Aaron P Wood1, Kara K Palmer1, Zhongzhe Ouyang2

  • 1School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|July 3, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Motor competence (MC) develops with age in young children, and physical activity (PA) supports better MC. However, PA and weight status did not significantly influence MC development over time in this study.

Area of Science:

  • Child development
  • Public health
  • Kinesiology

Background:

  • Childhood obesity and low physical activity (PA) are significant public health concerns.
  • Motor competence (MC) is crucial for healthy development in early childhood.
  • Understanding the interplay between MC, PA, and weight status is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the development of MC over time, controlling for PA and weight status in preschoolers.
  • To investigate the bidirectional developmental relationships between PA, weight status, and MC.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from 146 children aged 3.5-5 years.
  • Evaluation of MC using process, product, and combined scores.
  • Measurement of weight status via BMI percentile and PA using accelerometers.
  • Application of longitudinal-growth curve and cross-lag panel models.

Main Results:

  • Older children exhibited higher MC.
  • Baseline PA was positively associated with improved MC outcomes.
  • Controlling for PA attenuated the change in process MC.
  • MC, PA, and BMI% showed stability over time with no significant cross-lag effects.

Conclusions:

  • Findings offer insights into longitudinal associations between MC, PA, and weight status in early childhood.
  • Individual variability in MC development requires further exploration.
  • Understanding these trajectories is important for early childhood health interventions.
Abstract

Keywords:
ANTHROPOMETRICSEARLY CHILDHOODMOVEMENTMOVEMENT SKILLSPEDIATRICS

More Related Videos

Physical Activity Measurement in Children Accepting Table Tennis Training06:51

Physical Activity Measurement in Children Accepting Table Tennis Training

Published on: July 27, 2022

2.1K
Measurements of Motor Function and Other Clinical Outcome Parameters in Ambulant Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy09:18

Measurements of Motor Function and Other Clinical Outcome Parameters in Ambulant Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Published on: January 12, 2019

10.5K

Related Concept Videos

Introduction to Developmental Psychology01:27

Introduction to Developmental Psychology

Developmental psychology explores the changes and continuities in human abilities throughout life, encompassing physical, cognitive, linguistic, and social dimensions. Human development is not restricted to growth, but includes aspects of decline, particularly in physical abilities as individuals age. Developmental psychologists seek to understand how people change as they age and how their mental and social skills evolve.Developmental MilestonesA key concept in developmental psychology is...
568
Hierarchy of Motor Control01:18

Hierarchy of Motor Control

The hierarchy of motor control refers to the different levels of organization and processing involved in controlling movement in the body. These levels range from higher cortical areas involved in planning and decision-making to lower spinal cord reflexes that respond automatically to external stimuli.
3.7K
Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age01:09

Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age

The upper and lower limb initially develops as a small bulge called a limb bud, which appears on the lateral side of the early embryo. The upper limb bud appears near the end of the fourth week of development, with the lower limb bud appearing shortly after.
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
2.3K
Three Developmental Domains01:29

Three Developmental Domains

Human development is typically examined across three main domains: physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional. These domains represent the significant areas of change and continuity throughout the lifespan, from infancy to late adulthood.
Physical Development
Physical processes, also known as maturation, encompass the biological changes that occur across an individual's life. These changes begin with genetic inheritance and continue through various stages, including growth in height and weight,...
376
Exercise and Muscle Performance01:27

Exercise and Muscle Performance

Exercise induces a range of adaptations in muscle tissue, depending on the type and duration of activity. Such physical training can be broadly categorized into two types: endurance exercises and resistance exercises.
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
1.6K
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter...
222