Assessment of Physical Tests in 6–11 Years Old Children: Findings from the Play Lifestyle and Activity in Youth (PLAY) Study

Abstract

The purpose was to evaluate selected physical tests in children and to compare the outcomes by sex. A cross-sectional study design was used to evaluate children 6–11 years who completed five physical tests: hand grip, vertical jump, sit and reach, Y-balance, and obstacle course (time and score). The outcome measures including test results were descriptively examined and compared by sex. The study participants consisted of 133 children (62 males and 71 females, with a median age of 7.8 years). Girls showed superior sit and reach performance (p = 0.002) compared with boys. Boys demonstrated better Y-balance scores (p = 0.007) and faster obstacle time (p = 0.042) than girls. Sex comparison within three age groups (6–<8 years, 8–<10 years, and 10–<12 years) showed that girls performed better on the sit and reach compared with boys in the in 6–<8 years (p = 0.009). Boys demonstrated higher Y-balance scores (p = 0.017) and faster obstacle time (p = 0.007) compared with girls in the 8–<10-year age group. These data will serve to guide future efforts to evaluate normative measures of physical literacy and guide targeted training interventions to promote sustained physical activity in children with deficits relative to their age and sex norms.

Increasing the Level of Physical Activity Intensity with Child-Designed Games and Creativity of 6-8 Year-Olds during Gymnastics Lessons in Physical Education

“…Physical activity (PA) is especially important for children aged 6-8, as it is a critical period for their physical and cognitive development (Vilardell-Dávila et al, 2023;. During this stage, children are rapidly growing and developing their motor abilities (Basterfield et al, 2023;Sugimoto et al, 2023;Woodward et al, 2022). Engaging in higher levels od activity can help support their physical development and improve their overall health and well-being (Britton et al, 2023;García-Hermoso et al, 2020).…”