PREDICTORS AND TRENDS OF GROSS MOTOR SKILL PERFORMANCE IN AT-RISK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN

Percept Mot Skills. 2015 Aug;121(1):284-99. doi: 10.2466/10.15.PMS.121c14x6. Epub 2015 Aug 24.

Abstract

-The purpose of this study was to examine the predictors and trends of gross motor skills in children from low-income families. The participants were 1,460 children (M age=8.39 yr., SD=1.83; K-6th grade) recruited from three Title I schools. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2nd Edition (TGMD-2) assessed motor skills, FITNESSGRAM assessed health-related fitness, and pedometers and accelerometers measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Multi-level modeling revealed that TGMD-2 scores predicted aerobic capacity, but no other relationships were found with other Healthy Fitness Zone parameters or MVPA. TGMD-2 performance was 4.8 and 4.7% greater in successively higher grade levels for girls and boys, respectively. In conclusion, TGMD-2 scores predict aerobic capacity and TGMD-2 scores improved between 4 and 5% in older grade cohorts separated by 1 year.

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Child Development / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Motor Activity / physiology*
  • Motor Skills / physiology*
  • Northwestern United States / epidemiology
  • Poverty*
  • United States