Motor Competence in Children With and Without Ambliopia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the motor competence of children with and without amblyopia. Study participants were 165 primary school children, aged 6–9 years, divided into three groups based on their visual acuity with the Snellen chart: (a) non-amblyopia, (b) corrected amblyopia, and (c) non-corrected amblyopia. We assessed the children’s motor competence with the Motor Competence Assessment battery (MCA) and their physical activity with the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). The non-amblyopia group presented significantly better motor competence on the MCA than either the corrected amblyopia group or the non-corrected amblyopia group; there were no statistically significant motor differences between the two amblyopia subgroups. Amblyopia versus non-amblyopia differences on the MCA were mainly in stability and locomotor components, involving dynamic balance and the change of spatial position and direction of movement, but not in the manipulative component (ball throwing velocity and ball kicking velocity). Predictably, from within an integrated visual motor perspective of child development, our findings suggest that intact vision played an important role in children’s motor competence. The development of fundamental motor skills, especially of stability and locomotor skills, may be affected by poor visual processing in that participants with uncorrected amblyopia showed poor movement accuracy, uncoordinated movement, and impaired balance.

Adverse Influences of Nonstrabismic Amblyopia on Quality of Life of Teenagers in China

“…Besides school functioning, physical health, emotional functioning, social functioning are also important for adolescents. It was reported that the nonamblyopia group had significantly better motor competence on the physical activity than either the corrected amblyopia group or the noncorrected amblyopia group [ 35 ]. Moreover, quite a number of amblyopia patients believe that amblyopia affects their study and work to a certain extent and generally affects their lifestyle [ 36 ].…”

Visual system and motor development in children: a systematic review

“… 2020 ; Sá et al. 2021 ), 10 articles associated binocular vision and motor development (O'Connor et al. 2010 ; Alramis et al.…”

“… 2020 ; Sá et al. 2021 ; Vagge et al. 2021 ) with high quality, and the remaining 10 (Atkinson et al.…”

Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) Scoring Method

“…All test batteries for motor competence or motor development use sub-scales and total scores. In fact, the MCA has been used in recent years with each author using a composite of the tests to represent sub-scales and total MCA scores e.g., [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. This practice has reflected the theoretical model assumed for MCA, long used in the field, that all tests and sub-scales have equal participation in the determination of the motor competence, but this had not been tested until now.…”

“…Although the MCA has been used with different populations and cultures [ 16 , 17 , 18 ], the method for scoring each of the three sub-scales (locomotor, stability, and manipulative) and for total MCA score, still needs to be defined. The initial theoretical framework on the development of motor skills [ 19 , 20 ] proposed an equal participation of the locomotor, stability, and manipulative components in overall motor competence.…”