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Association between fundamental movement skills and weekday/weekend physical activity among preschool children in
1School of Athletic Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China.
Insights
Fundamental movement skills (FMS) are linked to physical activity (PA) in preschoolers. Developing locomotor, object control, and stability skills supports children's PA on weekdays and weekends.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Sports Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Preschool years are crucial for developing fundamental movement skills (FMS), which are strongly associated with physical activity (PA).
- Understanding the relationship between FMS and PA in early childhood is vital for promoting lifelong healthy habits.
- This study investigated FMS and PA associations in Chinese preschoolers during weekdays and weekends.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the associations between FMS and PA in Chinese preschool children.
- To differentiate weekday versus weekend PA patterns in relation to FMS.
- To identify specific FMS components that most strongly predict PA levels.
Main Methods:
- 364 preschoolers (mean age 4.34 ± 0.74 years, 53% boys) participated.
- FMS were assessed using the Chinese Fundamental Movement Skills Test (CFMST).
- PA was objectively measured using ActiGraph accelerometers, analyzed by intensity, and modeled using multilevel mixed-effects linear regression.
Main Results:
- Locomotor skills were significantly associated with higher weekday moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA).
- Object control skills positively correlated with weekday and weekend MVPA.
- Stability skills showed positive associations with both weekday and weekend PA at various intensities.
Conclusions:
- FMS are significantly associated with PA levels in preschoolers across weekdays and weekends.
- Locomotor skills are key determinants of weekday PA, while object control and stability skills support PA throughout the week.
- Developing diverse FMS is essential for promoting PA participation in early childhood.
Background:
The preschool years are a critical period for developing fundamental movement skills (FMS), which are strongly linked to physical activity (PA). This study aimed to examine the associations between FMS and PA on weekdays and weekends among Chinese preschool children.
Methods:
A total of 364 preschoolers (mean age: 4.34 ± 0.74 years, 53% boys) participated. FMS were assessed using the Chinese Fundamental Movement Skills Test (CFMST), and PA was objectively measured with ActiGraph GT3X + accelerometers. Analyses were conducted separately for weekday and weekend, and PA was analyzed by intensity levels. Multilevel mixed-effects linear regression models were used to analyzed associations between FMS and PA, adjusting for age, sex, BMI and accelerometer wear time.
Results:
Locomotor skills were significantly associated with higher weekday moderate-intensity PA (MPA, β = 0.29, p = 0.002), vigorous-intensity PA (VPA, β = 0.19, p = 0.004), and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA, β = 0.45, p = 0.001). Object control skills were positively associated with weekday VPA (β = 0.10, p = 0.018), MVPA (β = 0.23, p = 0.050), and weekend MPA (β = 0.34, p = 0.014), MVPA (β = 0.53, p = 0.037). Stability skills were positively associated with weekday MPA (β = 0.08, p = 0.013), VPA (β = 0.05, p = 0.004), MVPA (β = 0.12, p = 0.005), weekend MPA (β = 0.10, p = 0.007), and MVPA (β = 0.15, p = 0.003).
Conclusions:
FMS were significantly associated with PA levels across both weekdays and weekends. Locomotor emerged as key determinants of weekday PA, while object control skills and stability skills were positively linked to both weekday and weekend PA. These findings highlight the importance of developing multiple dimensions of FMS to support PA participation in early childhood.
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