Secular trends in motor performance in Swiss children and adolescents from 1983 to 2018

Abstract

IntroductionEnvironmental changes, including globalization, urbanization, social and cultural changes in society, and exposure to modern digital technology undoubtedly have an impact on children’s activity and lifestyle behavior. In fact, marked reductions in children’s physical activity levels have been reported over the years and sedentary behavior has increased around the world. The question arises whether these environmental changes had an impact on general motor performance in children and adolescents. The study aimed to investigate secular trends of motor performance in Swiss children and adolescents, aged between 7 and 18 years, over a period of 35 years from 1983 to 2018.MethodsLongitudinal data on the five motor components of the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment (ZNA) – pure motor (PM), fine motor (FM), dynamic balance (DB), static balance (SB), and contralateral associated movements (CAM) – were pooled with cross-sectional data on PM and FM from eight ZNA studies between 1983 and 2018. Regression models were used to estimate the effect of the year of birth on motor performance and body mass index (BMI) measurements. Models were adjusted for age, sex, and socioeconomic status.ResultsThe secular trend estimates in standard deviation scores (SDS) per 10 years were − 0.06 [−0.33; 0.22, 95% Confidence Interval] for PM, −0.11 [−0.41; 0.20] for FM, −0.38 [−0.66; −0.09] for DB (−0.42 when controlled for BMI), −0.21 [−0.47; 0.06] for SB, and − 0.01 [−0.32; 0.31] for CAM. The mean change in BMI data was positive with 0.30 SDS [0.07; 0.53] over 10 years.DiscussionDespite substantial societal changes since the 1980s, motor performance has remained relatively stable across generations. No secular trend was found in FM, PM, SB, and CAM over a period of 35 years. A secular trend in DB was present independent of the secular trend in body mass index.

Associations of obesity, movement behaviors, and socioeconomic status with fundamental movement skills in children: Results from the REACT project

“…This detrimental behavioral "signature" may contribute to inadequate motor development during childhood, particularly in developing adequate fundamental movement skills (FMS) levels. Further, a negative secular trend in FMS proficiency in school-age children has been reported (Chen et al, 2023;Knaier et al, 2023), highlighting a serious concern for educators and families. It is well known among motor development researchers that FMS typically unfold during childhood and are later refined into context-and sport-specific skills (Garbeloto et al, 2022;Pacheco et al, 2021) and are essential for leading an active lifestyle (Goodway et al, 2021;Hulteen et al, 2018;Lubans et al, 2010;Payne & Isaacs, 2020).…”

Motor performance in children before, during and after COVID-19 pandemic and the role of socioeconomic background: A 10-year cohort study of 68,996 third grade children

“…Another critical aspect to consider when examining the impact of the pandemic on children's motor development is the option of a secular trend, i.e., a long-term change in children's motor performance levels over a longer period of years. The results of previous studies vary widely and include negative, positive, as well as stagnating trends in motor performance over the past several years (Fühner et al, 2021;Knaier et al, 2023;Schlag et al, 2021;Spengler et al, 2017;Tomkinson et al, 2021;Tomkinson et al, 2003). Although there is no clear pattern of secular trends in motor development, an important consensus among these studies is that temporal trends for individual Motor Domains appear to be specific and should be considered as such (Fühner et al, 2021).…”

Motor performance before, during and after COVID-19 and the role of socioeconomic background: A 10-year cohort study of 68,996 third grade children

“…Another critical aspect to consider when examining the impact of the pandemic on children's motor development is the option of a secular trend, i.e., a long-term change in children's motor performance levels over a longer period of years. The results of previous studies vary widely and include negative, positive, as well as stagnating trends in motor performance over the past several years (Fühner et al, 2021;Knaier et al, 2023;Schlag et al, 2021;Spengler et al, 2017;Tomkinson et al, 2021;Tomkinson et al, 2003). Although there is no clear pattern of secular trends in motor development, an important consensus among these studies is that temporal trends for individual Motor Domains appear to be speci c and should be considered as such (Fühner et al, 2021).…”