What is associated with how confident young children feel about their movement skills?

Details

The researchers investigated child, family, and environmental factors associated with young children's perceptions of their locomotor (LM) and object control (OC) skills. Participants were 472 children and their parents; the children's age was reported as 6.22 ± 0.63, without a unit specified in the abstract.

This was an observational association study using child assessments and a parent questionnaire. Children's perceived competence in LM and OC skills was assessed using the pictorial scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence for young children. Actual motor competence was assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development 3rd edition and Körperkoordinationstest Für Kinder. Anthropometric measures were calculated using the children's body mass index standard deviation scores.

The parent questionnaire covered child factors: sex, age at independent walking, time spent sedentary and outdoors, participation in organized sport activities, and access to electronic devices. It also covered family factors—parental educational level, physical activity frequency, and sedentary behavior—and the environmental factor of access to sport facilities.

Analysis of variance examined age-related differences, and a linear regression model examined correlates of children's perceptions of LM and OC skills.

Children's perceptions of their movement skills were generally high. Four factors explained 5.7% of the variance in perceived LM skills and 7.5% of the variance in perceived OC skills. Lower age and higher actual motor competence accounted for most of the explanation provided by these factors.

Less access to electronic devices and higher body mass index (BMI) were associated with perceptions of LM skills. Greater participation in organized sport activities and lower parental education were associated with perceptions of OC skills.

The researchers concluded that perceptions of motor competence are an important consideration when promoting children's physical activity and motor competence.