Longitudinal relationships between visuomotor integration and physical fitness in preschoolers: a cross-lagged panel...

Physical fitness and visuomotor integration are developmentally significant constructs in early childhood. Although physical fitness and visuomotor integration are positively associated in preschool children, the majority of existing evidence is cross-sectional, precluding inferences about causal directionality. The present study employed a cross-lagged panel design to examine the longitudinal bidirectional relationships between physical fitness and visuomotor integration across a one-year period among preschoolers.

A total of 202 preschool children (mean age = 4.65 ± 0.84 years) from a kindergarten in Chongqing, China, participated in a 12 month longitudinal study with assessments at baseline (T1) and follow-up (T2), of whom 194 completed the study (retention rate: 96.1%). Visuomotor integration was measured using the Beery VMI-6 short form, and physical fitness was assessed using a five-item test battery derived from China's National Physical Fitness Measurement Standards. Cross-lagged panel analysis was conducted to examine bidirectional associations between physical fitness and visuomotor integration, controlling for age and sex.

The cross-lagged model demonstrated adequate fit (χ²/df = 2.23, CFI = 0.972, TLI = 0.952, RMSEA = 0.073). Both constructs exhibited significant autoregressive stability (physical fitness: β = 0.88, visuomotor integration: β = 0.61, all p < 0.01). After controlling for age, sex, and autoregressive effects, T1 physical fitness significantly predicted T2 visuomotor integration (β = 0.27, p < 0.01), whereas the reverse path was not significant (β = 0.09, p = 0.13). Among the physical fitness indicators, standing long jump exhibited the highest factor loading at both time points, suggesting it may serve as a primary contributor to this predictive relationship.

Physical fitness was longitudinally associated with subsequent visuomotor integration in preschool children. These findings contribute longitudinal evidence on the link between physical fitness and later visuomotor integration during early childhood.