Age- and sex-specific reference values for physical literacy in Colombian children: a GAMLSS analysis of the CAPL-2

Physical literacy is a multidimensional construct that integrates physical competence, daily behavior, motivation and confidence, and knowledge and understanding; however, the interpretation of assessment scores may vary across sociocultural contexts. This study aimed to develop age- and sex-specific reference values for the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy, second edition (CAPL-2), in Colombian schoolchildren aged 8-12 years.

A cross-sectional multicenter sample of 843 children from the six geographical subregions of Colombia was assessed using the Colombian Spanish adaptation of the CAPL-2. Generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape were fitted separately by sex to estimate smoothed percentiles for the total score and four domains, with age modeled continuously in the location (μ) and scale (σ) parameters. Empirical percentiles were also calculated for selected physical assessment components, and the percentile positions of the original interpretive categories were examined.

Physical Competence and total scores increased with age and were generally higher in boys, whereas Motivation and Confidence showed greater stability, particularly among boys. Daily Behavior and several physical assessment components also showed higher values in boys, while Knowledge and Understanding showed comparatively small age- and sex-related differences. Importantly, the official interpretive categories occupied markedly different percentile positions across domains.

These findings provide contextual reference values that complement the original classification system and allow CAPL-2 performance to be interpreted relative to children of the same age and sex within a geographically diverse Colombian reference sample, without constituting diagnostic thresholds or nationally representative norms.