Limited physical literacy outcomes in Singapore children: Implications for public health practice

Adequate physical literacy (PL) in children is a potential preventive measure against non-communicable diseases. Direct measurement of PL is often absent in population-wide studies, particularly in East and Southeast Asia. We assessed PL and associated individual- and environmental-level factors in Singapore children.

726 participants (373 boys, 353 girls; age: 11.0 ± 0.2 years) from a birth cohort study (GUSTO) completed a self-administered questionnaire in the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy Second Edition (CAPL-2) to assess affective and cognitive domains of PL. A subset of 360 children (187 boys, 173 girls) completed a modified fitness test-battery to assess physical competence. Chi-square tests of independence compared sex and ethnicity differences in PL scores. A modified three-domain composite Overall PL score was derived. Pearson's correlation assessed PL scores against self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) duration. Regression analysis examined associations of socio-economic status (SES) with PL, adjusting for sex, ethnicity, and MVPA.

72.8% of children were classified within the lower category bins of the modified Overall PL scoring framework. Self-reported MVPA duration was positively associated with modified Overall PL score (r(358) = 0.23, p = 0.01). After adjustment, the regression model revealed that household income was not associated with modified Overall PL scores (all p > 0.05), while higher maternal education remained associated with higher scores (all p < 0.01).

Low levels of PL observed in Singapore school children warrant concern for public health and disease prevention. These findings, alongside similarities in educational systems, cultural influences, and socioeconomic factors shared with countries within the region, highlight an urgent need to prioritize physical activity and PL in children across Asian contexts.