Potential relevance of a motor skill “proficiency barrier” on health‐related fitness in youth

Abstract

This study investigated the potential impact of a motor skill proficiency barrier on measures of cardiorespiratory (CRF) and musculoskeletal (MSF) fitness in youth. A sample of 241 youth (114 girls) aged 10 -18 years, completed the Motor Competence Assessment battery with composite scores indexed according to age-and gender-adjusted percentile scores. Motor competence (MC) levels were categorized as low (≤ 25 %tileproficiency barrier), moderate (≥ 26 %tile to < 75 % tile ), and high (≥ 75 %tile ). CRF levels (Health Risk, Needs Improvement, and Healthy) were assessed using the Fitnessgram® 20 m PACER test. Low (≤ 20 %tile ), moderate (≥ 21 %tile to ≤ 80 % tile ), and high (≥ 80 %tile ) MSF levels were assessed using grip strength normative data. Two 3 × 3 chi-square tests were conducted to determine the probability of MC level predicting CRF and MSF levels. Results demonstrated statistically significant models for performance on both the PACER (χ 2 [4, N = 241] = 22.65, p < .001) and grip strength (χ 2 [4, N = 241] = 23.95, p < .001). Strong evidence of a proficiency barrier impacting CRF was noted, as no low skilled youth met the "Healthy" fitness zone standards for PACER performance. Evidence supporting a barrier with grip strength was not as strong, as 20.8% of youth exhibiting low MC displayed high grip strength. However, all individuals with high levels of MC demonstrated at least moderate grip strength. Results emphasize the importance of developing MC during childhood as it may provide a protective effect against unhealthy CRF and MSF across youth. Highlights. These data support the notion of Seefeldt's (1980) proficiency barrier as it relates to CRF, as no youth demonstrating low MC met the healthy fitness zone criteria for PACER performance. The development of MC may both directly and indirectly provide a protective effect against unhealthy CRF levels across childhood and adolescence. . Evidence supporting a proficiency barrier with MSF as measured by grip strength was not as strong; however, all individuals with high levels of MC demonstrated at least moderate grip strength. Thus, the development of MC may be a protective factor to mitigate low levels of MSF via enhanced neuromuscular function. . Promoting the development of MC in a variety of developmentally appropriate activities and settings (e.g. MC skills practice, structured and unstructured play, and performance contexts) is important to promote positive trajectories of CRF and MSF across childhood and adolescence.

Impact of Motor Competence Profiles on Adolescents’ Physical Activity and Cardiorespiratory Fitness across Four Years

“…Most physical activities that children engage in, require competence in a variety of movement skills (i.e., physical education, structured games, sports). Thus, higher levels of skill facilitate successful and continued participation in multiple types of activities over time and would impact physical activity and CRF both directly and indirectly (5,11,48). The differences in MC levels across profiles suggest that, indeed, skill levels were developed prior to age 11 in this study.…”

Longitudinal pathways of associations between motor proficiency and physical fitness during earlier and later childhood: The NW-CHILD study

“…15,18,28,29 Researchers also report that the dynamic relationship between MC and measures of PF across age has not yet been investigated comprehensively and urge more longitudinal research in this regard. 13,16,29,32–35 These gaps in our understanding of how this dynamic association between MC and PF changes across age in typically developing children from early childhood through middle to later childhood, motivated this study. This study therefore investigated pathways of association between MC and PF during earlier, middle childhood (ages 6 to 9 years) and later childhood (age 12) in South African (SA) children of both sexes residing from different SES backgrounds.…”

“…Researchers confirmed the influence of socio-economic inequalities and unique environmental influences in different countries on PF. 30,31 The benefits of MC to PF are strong from cross-sectional studies demonstrating the protective effects of MC on unhealthy PF 27,29,32,33 and on long-term health outcomes in children. 15,17,18,27,30,32,34 The predominantly cross-sectional nature of the available evidence can, however, not confirm causal pathways between MC and PF.…”

“…30,31 The benefits of MC to PF are strong from cross-sectional studies demonstrating the protective effects of MC on unhealthy PF 27,29,32,33 and on long-term health outcomes in children. 15,17,18,27,30,32,34 The predominantly cross-sectional nature of the available evidence can, however, not confirm causal pathways between MC and PF. Limited studies are also available to confirm longitudinal associations in young children as similar associations that were studied focussed primarily on the middle childhood to adolescent period.…”

“…In agreement, researchers report that failure to acquire adequate levels of competence in a broad foundation of motor skills during childhood and adolescence restricts avenues for participating in health-enhancing physical activities, thereby presenting a potential barrier to subsequent progression of cardiovascular fitness and MC trajectories. 32 As locomotor skills were not assessed in the TGMD-2 but were part of the BOT-2 test items that were assessed, it might suggest that the contribution of overall and functional coordination and different components of locomotor skills along with other components of health-related fitness, such as strength, are important to contribute to the relationship with PF at older ages, and therefore needs further attention from researchers. These findings therefore contest the hypothesis that OCS in comparison to locomotor skills has a significant impact on health-related fitness, at least in boys which also needs further investigation.…”