Abstract
Objectives
To examine associations between fundamental movement skills and weekday and weekend
physical activity among preschool children living in deprived communities.
Design
Cross-sectional observation study.
Methods
Six locomotor skills and 6 object-control skills were video-assessed using The Children's
Activity and Movement in Preschool Study Motor Skills Protocol. Physical activity
was measured via hip-mounted accelerometry. A total of 99 children (53% boys) aged
3–5 years (M 4.6, SD 0.5) completed all assessments. Multilevel mixed regression models were used
to examine associations between fundamental movement skills and physical activity.
Models were adjusted for clustering, age, sex, standardised body mass index and accelerometer
wear time.
Results
Boys were more active than girls and had higher object-control skill competency. Total
skill score was positively associated with weekend moderate-to-vigorous physical activity
(p = 0.034) but not weekday physical activity categories (p > 0.05). When subdomains of skills were examined, object-control skills was positively
associated with light physical activity on weekdays (p = 0.008) and with light (p = 0.033), moderate-to-vigorous (p = 0.028) and light- and moderate-to-vigorous (p = 0.008) physical activity at weekends. Locomotor skill competency was positively associated
with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on weekdays (p = 0.016) and light physical activity during the weekend (p = 0.035).
Conclusions
The findings suggest that developing competence in both locomotor and object-control
skills may be an important element in promoting an active lifestyle in young children
during weekdays and at weekends.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 29, 2014
Accepted:
September 20,
2014
Received in revised form:
August 19,
2014
Received:
April 3,
2014
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
