Process- and Product-Oriented Fundamental Movement Skills in Early Childhood as Predictors of Later Health-Related Fitness

Abstract

Introduction The skill domains of fundamental movement skills (FMS), emphasizing gross motor movements, including locomotor skills (LMS) and object control skills (OCS), along with process- and product-oriented measures of FMS, may predict cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscular fitness (MF) differently. This study investigates the longitudinal relationship from early childhood FMS, focusing on process-oriented LMS and OCS and product-oriented FMS, to CRF and MF in late childhood. Methods The study involved 441 Finnish children (49.9% female, mean age at baseline 5.5 years) over a six-year period. FMS was evaluated using the Test of Gross Motor Development, third version (TGMD-3) for process-oriented LMS and OCS and, the Körperkoordinationstest Für Kinder (KTK) was used to evaluate the product-oriented FMS. CRF was assessed through the total number of laps completed in the 20-meter shuttle run test, while MF was measured via repetitions of curl-ups and push-ups. Employing a two-level cross-classified regression analysis and Cholesky decomposition, this study aimed to determine the contributions of product-oriented KTK and process-oriented LMS and OCS. Adjustments for variations in age, measurement intervals, and maturation were achieved through residualization. Additionally, gender and body mass index (BMI) were incorporated as covariates in the analysis. Results The analysis revealed that process-oriented LMS (CRF: ΔR 2 = 0.016, MF: ΔR 2 = 0.014) significantly predicted later health-related fitness, while OCS did not. However, KTK exhibited a better ability to predict both CRF (ΔR 2 = 0.092) and MF (ΔR 2 = 0.032), overshadowing process-oriented measures. Conclusions In conclusion, the findings suggest that KTK, which potentially encompasses a broader spectrum of fitness elements along with FMS, more effectively predicts health-related fitness components than process-oriented FMS.