► We examine specific gross motor skills in children with intellectual disabilities (ID). ► Children with ID scored lower on most specific skills than typically developing peers. ► The mild ID group ...scored lower on the locomotor skills than the borderline ID group. ► Positive relationship was found between object-control skills and sports participation.
This study compared the specific gross motor skills of 156 children with intellectual disabilities (ID) (50
≤
IQ
≥
79) with that of 255 typically developing children, aged 7–12 years. Additionally, the relationship between the specific gross motor skills and organized sports participation was examined in both groups. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2 and a self-report measure were used to assess children's gross motor skills and sports participation, respectively. The children with ID scored significantly lower on almost all specific motor skill items than the typically developing children. Children with mild ID scored lower on the locomotor skills than children with borderline ID. Furthermore, we found in all groups that children with higher object-control scores participated more in organized sports than children with lower object-control scores. Our results support the importance of attention for well-developed gross motor skills in children with borderline and mild ID, especially to object-control skills, which might contribute positively to their sports participation.
Gross motor skills (GMS) are a vital component of a child’s development. Monitoring levels and correlates of GMS is important to ensure appropriate strategies are put in place to promote these skills ...in young children. The aim of this study was to describe the current level of GMS development of children aged 11–29months and how these levels differ by age, sex, BMI and socio-economic status.
Cross-sectional study.
This study involved children from 30 childcare services in NSW, Australia. GMS were assessed using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales Second Edition. Prevalence was reported using the gross motor quotient and both raw and standard scores for locomotor, object manipulation and stationary subtests. Socio-demographics were collected via parent questionnaires. Analyses included t-tests, chi-square tests, one-way ANOVA and linear regression models.
This study included 335 children (mean age=19.80±4.08months, 53.9% boys). For the gross motor quotient, 23.3% of the children scored below average. For the GMS subtests, 34.3% of children scored below average for locomotion, 10.1% for object manipulation and 0.3% for stationary. Boys were more proficient in object manipulation than girls (p=0.001). GMS were negatively associated with age and a higher socio-economic status (all p<0.05). There were no associations for BMI.
This is the first descriptive study to show the prevalence of below average at locomotor skills in toddlers is higher than reported in normative samples. Early commencement of GMS promotion is recommended with a focus on locomotor skills and girls’ object manipulation skills.
Problem statement: Although the evidence indicates that fundamental movement skills (FMS) are the building blocks to master complex and specific movements, are a component of physical development as ...well as a key prerequisite to develop adequate physical activity levels (PAL), this relationship remains underexplored in preschoolers. Purpose: To analyze the association between FMS and PAL identifying differences by age as well as determining which skills have the greatest influence on preschool children complying with the World Health Organization (WHO) PA Guidelines. The sample included 95 preschoolers (59 boys) aged 4 to 6 years (5.5 ± 0.6 years) participating in a national program implemented by the Chilean Sports Ministry. FMS were measured using the TGMD (2nd edition); we considered the raw assessment scores and converted them into percentiles, while PAL, was assessed objectively using a triaxial accelerometer ActiGraph GT3X and Actilife-6 software. Moderate and vigorous physical activity was dichotomized into active (>60 min/d) or inactive (<60 min/d). Logistic regressions were used to determine associations among variables by age, adjusting by sex, nutritional status and time spent in sedentary behavior. Analysis of FMS scores and minutes spent at each PAL determined which skills had the greatest impact on children being active, at p < 0.05, using Stata 15 software. Results No associations among subscales for locomotor skills and PAL were found (p=0.662), object control (p=0.264), or total score (p=0.704); however, FMS was associated with age. Preschoolers aged 5 and older who engaged in >60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) showed higher FMS, particularly in object control. Conclusion This study found no significant association between FMS and PAL in preschoolers, however a positive association was observed between FMS with age. Our study also supports the importance that FMS have for preschoolers in achieving WHO's guidelines for PA. Specifically, object control development at 5 years old may be key in obtaining a greater PAL.
The development of Fundamental Movement Skills (FMSs) has been associated to several factors, such as weight status, gender differences and school years. In this study, we examined the level of ...development of several Italian primary school children taking into account school year and gender differences. The participants were 120 children (mean age: 8.70±1.53 years) and were recruited from three Italian primary schools. Each child performed all items provided in the Test of Gross-Motor Development and its level of proficiency in gross-motor skills was ranked according to its Gross-Motor Development Quotient obtained through the analysis performed by five skilled operators. Results highlighted that the children in the first school year had the highest level of proficiency in gross-motor skills in comparison with all their peers of other year groups (these differences were large for all comparisons). Moreover, boys resulted in higher level of proficiency than the girls and this difference was statistically significant in Year 2, Year 3, and Year 5 (effect size of these differences was from moderate to large). These results confirmed that the mastery in FMSs is not age-dependent and is affected by year groups and gender differences, so it is necessary to plan efficient and, if possible, subject- or group-specific educational programs in primary school setting to support the development of gross-motor skills in all children.
Physical activity can be promoted by high levels of gross motor skills. A systematic review found a positive relationship in children (3–18 years) but only few studies examined this in younger ...children. The aim of this study was to examine the association between gross motor skills and physical activity in children aged 11–29 months.
Cross-sectional study.
This study involved 284 children from 30 childcare services in NSW, Australia (Mean age=19.77±4.18months, 53.2% boys). Physical activity was measured using accelerometers (Actigraph GT3X+). Gross motor skills were assessed using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales Second Edition (PDMS-2). Multilevel linear regression analyses were computed to assess associations between gross motor skills and physical activity, adjusting for sex, age and BMI.
Children spent 53.08% of their time in physical activity and 10.39% in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Boys had higher total physical activity (p<0.01) and MVPA (p<0.01) than girls. The average gross motor skills score was 96.16. Boys scored higher than girls in object manipulation (p<0.001). There was no association between gross motor skills and total physical activity or MVPA.
Although gross motor skills were not associated with physical activity in this sample, stronger associations are apparent in older children. This study therefore highlights a potential important age to promote gross motor skills.
This study was designed to examine the effectiveness of a combined exergaming and physical education (PE) program on children's motor skill competence (MSC) and health-related fitness (HRF) as ...compared to traditional PE. A total of 261 second- and third-grade children (127 boys; 8.25 ± 0.66 years for male; 8.29 ± 0.74 years for female; 73.6% non-Hispanic white) participated in the nine-month study from 2012 to 2013. Children were assigned to one of the two groups: (a) intervention group (125 min of alternating PE and exergaming weekly); and (b) comparison group (125-min weekly PE). MSC was assessed via product scores in two locomotor and two object control skills. HRF included the cardiorespiratory fitness, musculoskeletal fitness, and body mass index (BMI). A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed to analyze the effect of the combined exergaming⁻PE program on children's MSC and HRF. There were significant group by time interaction effects for BMI,
< 0.01,
² = 0.20; musculoskeletal fitness,
< 0.01,
² = 0.13; and object control skills (the comparison group demonstrating greater improvement),
= 0.01,
² = 0.03. The findings suggest that the combined exergaming program can have a positive effect on children's BMI and musculoskeletal fitness, indicating that exergaming can be an alternative school-based program to supplement traditional PE.
Background
This systematic review is a synthesis of studies concerning: (a) mastery, deficits, and/or delays in fundamental movement skills (FMS) among children and adolescents with intellectual ...disabilities; (b) comparisons of FMS between children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities and those with typical development (TD); and (c) correlates of FMS.
Method
A systematic electronic search was performed in 12 databases. Seventeen studies, published between 1951 and 2017, met the inclusion criteria.
Results
Children with intellectual disabilities exhibited a lack of mastery and deficits/developmental delays in FMS. They tended to have significantly lower FMS performance than children with TD. Adolescents with intellectual disabilities had developmental delays in balance skills, but were not compared with adolescents with TD. Mastery or deficits in FMS were not explored. Several variables were significantly correlated with FMS among children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities.
Conclusion
In future studies, FMS should be examined as an important outcome among children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two pedagogical strategies in adapted physical education (hybrid virtual/real vs. conventional) on fundamental movement skills (FMS) in ...children with intellectual disability age 7-10 years. Children with intellectual disability (N = 24) were randomly assigned to either the hybrid (experimental group) or the conventional (control group) group and were evaluated across 10 weeks. The hybrid program was based on virtual and real game situations, while the conventional program was based on adapted sports. FMS were evaluated using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 at pre- and postprogram for both groups. Both programs significantly improve locomotor skills, with significantly better improvement in the experimental group. However, a significant improvement was observed only among the experimental group for object-control skills and gross motor quotient. Based on these results, a hybrid program may be considered for FMS improvement.
This project involved a co-design process involving researchers and kindergarten teachers to produce learning activities that integrated fundamental movement skills (FMS) and mathematics. We piloted ...the co-designed activities (i.e., motor-math program) in a local kindergarten and examined the effects on FMS proficiency, mathematics skills, and accrued physical activity (PA). The participants comprised pupils (N = 39) from two matched kindergarten classes, in which we compared the motor-math program with typical mathematics lessons. All participants wore pedometers to measure their number of steps during class, one day per week. FMS proficiency (i.e., locomotor, object control) and mathematics skills (numeracy, geometry, math problem solving) were measured before and after implementation. Significant improvements in locomotor and object control skills were found only in the pilot group (
< 0.001); there were no differences in the changes in mathematics skills between the pilot and comparison groups. During implementation days, the participants in the pilot group accrued significantly greater step counts (
< 0.001) than those in the comparison group. Participating in the motor-math program appears to have benefits associated with improvements in FMS proficiency and accrued PA time, suggesting a promising potential for integrated activities as a means of PA promotion in kindergarten settings. Future work that examines the effects of the integration of movement with mathematics should consider randomization, greater sample size, and a longer intervention period.
The purpose of this study was to analyze motor development of Spanish preschoolers, taking into account sex and age, being an only child, prematurity, and the practice of extracurricular activities. ...The sample was composed of 300 preschoolers (132 girls, 168 boys) ages 3 to 6 years. Preschoolers were tested on 12 fundamental motor skills (locomotor and object control) through the Test of Gross Motor Development-Second Edition (TGMD-2). Nonparametric analysis indicated that there are differences between girls and boys in locomotor and object control skills in the age range of 3-4 years. However, boys and girls scored similarly at the age of 5 years in locomotor development. There were not differences between only children and those who are not only children. Similarly, prematurity was not associated with locomotor and object control development. Nevertheless, those preschoolers who practice extracurricular physical activities scored significantly higher in comparison with those children do not. Further research is needed to shed light on the differences between boys and girls in object control. It may be explained by the types of extracurricular activities.
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