Reallocation of 24-h Movement Behaviours and Their Effects on Preschoolers' Fundamental Movement Skills: A Compositional Data and Dose-Response Analysis

Xinyu Wang ¹, Xu Zhang ¹, Miaomiao Wan ¹

⁰Department of Sports Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.

Child: Care, Health and Development +

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November 17, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

Prioritizing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in preschool children

Area Of Science

Pediatric Health
Movement Science
Developmental Psychology

Background

Physical activity (PA), sedentary behaviour (SB), and sleep (SLP) are key 24-hour movement behaviours influencing preschool motor development.
Previous research linked these behaviours independently to motor skills, but their integrated impact was understudied.
Understanding the interplay of these behaviours is crucial for optimizing early health outcomes.

Purpose Of The Study

To investigate the associations between 24-hour movement behaviours (SB, light PA, MVPA, SLP) and fundamental movement skills (FMS) in preschoolers.
To examine the effects of isotemporal reallocation of movement behaviours on FMS.
To identify optimal movement behaviour patterns for enhancing motor development in early childhood.

Main Methods

Cross-sectional study of 292 preschoolers (3-6 years) using accelerometers for SB, LPA, and MVPA, and parent-reported sleep duration.
Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-3).
Compositional data analysis (CoDA) applied to examine relationships between movement behaviours and FMS.

Main Results

Higher proportion of MVPA was significantly associated with better total motor skills (MS) and locomotor skills, even after adjusting for covariates.
Isotemporal reallocation of 15 minutes to MVPA significantly improved total MS and locomotor skills.
The positive impact of increasing MVPA on FMS was greater than the negative impact of decreasing MVPA.

Conclusions

Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is a critical component for optimizing motor development in preschool children.
Prioritizing MVPA within the 24-hour movement behaviour framework is essential for enhancing fundamental movement skills.
Even small reallocations of time towards MVPA can yield significant benefits for FMS in early childhood.

Keywords:

24‐h movement behaviour compositional data analysis fundamental movement skills preschool children