Why Motor Competence Matters: Fundamental Movement Skills and Their Role in Promoting Physical Activity and Health in Czech Children Aged 9-10 Years
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11510%2F25%3A10503742" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11510/25:10503742 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=V0Kh5tP0aR" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=V0Kh5tP0aR</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10030258" target="_blank" >10.3390/jfmk10030258</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Why Motor Competence Matters: Fundamental Movement Skills and Their Role in Promoting Physical Activity and Health in Czech Children Aged 9-10 Years
Original language description
Motor competence (MC) plays a critical role in shaping children's physical activity, health-related fitness, and weight status. However, few studies have explored these interrelationships during middle childhood. Objectives: The current study aimed to examine the relationships between MC and physical activity (PA), health-related fitness (HRF), and weight status (WS) in children during middle childhood (9-10 years). Simultaneously, the study aimed to find possible differences in PA, HRF, and WS between children with different levels of MC. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the TGMD-2 (MC), UNIFITTEST 6-60 (HRF), ActiGraph GT3X (PA), and anthropometry (WS) were administered to 86 children (59 boys, age range of 9-10 years and mean age of 10.1 +- 0.6 years). Results: A significant strong association was observed between MC and HRF (p < 0.01, Cramer's V = 0.42). Significant moderate associations were observed between MC and WS (p < 0.05, Cramer's V = 0.34) and between MC and PA (p < 0.05, Cramer's V = 0.25). Children with high MC proficiency demonstrated significantly higher levels of HRF (p < 0.01; large ES) and PA (p < 0.05; moderate ES) and a healthier WS (p < 0.01; moderate ES) than those with low MC proficiency. Similarly, children with moderate MC proficiency outperformed children with low MC in terms of HRF and WS. Conclusions: The strong associations between MC and key health indicators such as PA, HRF, and WS suggest that movement proficiency in middle childhood should be viewed as a cornerstone of health promotion. Although no causal claims can be made, the results emphasize the practical importance of integrating targeted motor skill development-especially FMSs-into school-based physical education and extracurricular programs. Supporting MC at this age may be a decisive step toward fostering long-term engagement in physical activity and improving children's overall health trajectories.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
30306 - Sport and fitness sciences
Result continuities
Project
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Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2025
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology
ISSN
2411-5142
e-ISSN
2411-5142
Volume of the periodical
10
Issue of the periodical within the volume
3
Country of publishing house
CH - SWITZERLAND
Number of pages
15
Pages from-to
258
UT code for WoS article
001581533300001
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-105017449704