Link between Motor Competence and Health Related Fitness in Children and Adolescents

Participation in lifelong physical activities, such as yoga, golf, tennis, or running, are common endeavors in adolescence and adulthood. However, there is a lack of understanding of how competent individuals are in the skills needed for these activities and how competency in these skills relates to physical activity and fitness. This study aimed to determine the initial predictive validity of the Lifelong Physical Activity Skills Battery related to physical activity and health-related fitness. One-hundred and nine adolescents from four schools (55 males, 54 females; Mage = 15.82 years, SD = 0.37 years) completed: demographic information (survey), height (stadiometer), weight (digital scale), motor skill assessment (jog, grapevine, squat, push-up, upward dog, warrior one, tennis forehand, golf swing), health-related fitness (standing long jump, back-saver sit and reach, 3-min submaximal step test, 90° push-up test), and physical activity (GENEActiv accelerometers). Correlations and multiple regression models were conducted in SPSS version 24.0. Motor competence was associated with muscular fitness (standing long jump, β = 0.24, p = .002; push-ups, β = 0.42, p < .001), cardiorespiratory fitness (β = 0.21, p = .031), and flexibility (β = 0.23, p = .025), but not physical activity (β = 0.17, p = .154) or body mass index (β = −0.05, p = .622). Motor competence has a stronger association with health-related fitness parameters rather than physical activity.

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Field-based fitness assessment in young people: the ALPHA health-related fitness test battery for children and adolescents

British Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1136/bjsm.2010.075341 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 45 (6) ◽

pp. 518-524 ◽

Cited By ~ 266

Author(s):

J. R. Ruiz ◽

J. Castro-Pinero ◽

V. Espana-Romero ◽

E. G. Artero ◽

F. B. Ortega ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Test Battery ◽

Fitness Test ◽

Fitness Assessment ◽

Health Related ◽

Health Related Fitness

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Health-Related Fitness in Children and Adolescents

Pediatric Physical Therapy ◽

10.1097/pep.0b013e318227b3fc ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 208-220 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Kathleen J. Ganley ◽

Mark V. Paterno ◽

Cindy Miles ◽

Jean Stout ◽

Lorrie Brawner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Children And Adolescents ◽

Health Related ◽

Health Related Fitness

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The Effects of Active Video Games on Health-Related Physical Fitness and Motor Competence in Children and Adolescents with Healthy Weight: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18136965 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (13) ◽

pp. 6965

Author(s):

Cristina Comeras-Chueca ◽

Jorge Marin-Puyalto ◽

Angel Matute-Llorente ◽

German Vicente-Rodriguez ◽

Jose A. Casajus ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Video Games ◽

Physical Fitness ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Healthy Weight ◽

Motor Competence ◽

Muscular Fitness ◽

Active Video Games ◽

Active Video ◽

Health Related

(1) Background: Poor levels of physical fitness and motor skills are problems for today’s children. Active video games (AVG) could be an attractive strategy to help address them. The aim was to investigate the effects of AVG on health-related physical fitness and motor competence in children and adolescents with healthy weight. (2) Methods: Randomized and non-randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of AVG programs on health-related physical fitness and motor competence were included. Two different quality assessment tools were used to measure the risk of bias. Twenty articles met the inclusion criteria and the variables of interest were body mass index (BMI), body fat, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscular fitness and motor competence. (3) Results: AVG interventions seem to have benefits in BMI when lasting longer than 18 weeks (SMD, −0.590; 95% IC, −1.071, −0.108) and in CRF (SMD, 0.438; 95% IC, 0.022, 0.855). AVG seems to be a promising tool to improve muscular fitness and motor competence but the effects are still unclear due to the lack of evidence. (4) Conclusions: AVG seem to be an effective tool for improving some components of health-related physical fitness and motor competence in healthy-weight children and adolescents, but the effect on some fitness components needs further research. Therefore, AVG may be included as a strategy to improve health.

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Through the Looking Glass: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Evidence, Providing New Insight for Motor Competence and Health

Sports Medicine ◽

10.1007/s40279-021-01516-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lisa M. Barnett ◽

E. Kipling Webster ◽

Ryan M. Hulteen ◽

An De Meester ◽

Nadia C. Valentini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Conceptual Model ◽

Strong Evidence ◽

Weight Status ◽

Negative Association ◽

Insufficient Evidence ◽

Motor Competence ◽

Positive Evidence ◽

Health Related ◽

Health Related Fitness

Abstract Introduction In 2008, a conceptual model explaining the role of motor competence (MC) in children’s physical activity (PA), weight status, perceived MC and health-related fitness was published. Objective The purpose of the current review was to systematically compile mediation, longitudinal and experimental evidence in support of this conceptual model. Methods This systematic review (registered with PROSPERO on 28 April 2020) was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. Separate searches were undertaken for each pathway of interest (final search 8 November 2019) using CINAHL Complete, ERIC, Medline (OVID), PsycINFO, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus and SportDiscus. Potential articles were initially identified through abstract and title checking (N = 585) then screened further and combined into one review (n = 152), with 43 articles identified for extraction. Studies needed to be original and peer reviewed, include typically developing children and adolescents first assessed between 2 and 18 years and objective assessment of gross MC and at least one other variable (i.e., PA, weight status, perceived MC, health-related fitness). PA included sport participation, but sport-specific samples were excluded. Longitudinal or experimental designs and cross-sectional mediated models were sought. Strength of evidence was calculated for each pathway in both directions for each domain (i.e., skill composite, object control and locomotor/coordination/stability) by dividing the proportion of studies indicating a significantly positive pathway in the hypothesised direction by the total associations examined for that pathway. Classifications were no association (0–33%), indeterminate/inconsistent (34–59%), or a positive ‘+’ or negative ‘ − ’ association (≥ 60%). The latter category was classified as strong evidence (i.e., ++or −−) when four or more studies found an association. If the total number of studies in a domain of interest was three or fewer, this was considered insufficient evidence to make a determination. Results There was strong evidence in both directions for a negative association between MC and weight status. There was strong positive evidence for a pathway from MC to fitness and indeterminate evidence for the reverse. There was indeterminate evidence for a pathway from MC to PA and no evidence for the reverse pathway. There was insufficient evidence for the MC to perceived MC pathway. There was strong positive evidence for the fitness-mediated MC/PA pathway in both directions. There was indeterminate evidence for the perceived MC-mediated pathway from PA to MC and no evidence for the reverse. Conclusion Bidirectional longitudinal associations of MC with weight status are consistent with the model authored by Stodden et al. (Quest 2008;60(2):290–306, 2008). However, to test the whole model, the field needs robust longitudinal studies across childhood and adolescence that include all variables in the model, have multiple time points and account for potential confounding factors. Furthermore, experimental studies that examine change in MC relative to change in the other constructs are needed. Trial Registrations PROSPERO ID# CRD42020155799.

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