Associations Among Perceived Motor Competence, Motor Competence, Physical Activity, And Health-related Physical Fitness Of Children Ages 10-15 Years Old.

Abstract

PURPOSE: To examine the associations among perceived motor competence (PMC), motor competence (MC), moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and health-related physical fitness during middle childhood and early adolescence. METHODS: Participants were 47, 10-15-year-old youth (12.2 ± 1.64 yrs, 50.2 ± 16.2 kg, 157 ± 13.1 cm). Each participant made two visits, separated by at least 7 days, in East Tennessee or northwest Ohio, during which they completed the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, 2nd Edition, Harter’s PMC questionnaire (Harter, 1978), and the FITNESSGRAM battery for health-related physical fitness. Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometers were worn for seven days to measure MVPA. RESULTS: There were significant (p ≤ 0.05) positive correlations between physical fitness and both MC (rs = 0.44, p < 0.01) and PMC (rs = 0.32, p < 0.05). Additionally, a significant positive correlation was discovered between PMC and MC (rs = 0.47, p < 0.05). There were no significant correlations between average daily MVPA and the other variables. CONCLUSION: Results indicated that higher MC and PMC were associated with higher levels of health-related physical fitness. The interrelationship of these three variables was consistent with previous studies linking the development of fundamental motor skills to participation in complex movement behaviors, such as sports and other lifetime fitness activities, and the development and strengthening of PMC (Stodden & Robertson, 2009; Hands et. al., 2008; Cliff et al., 2011; Zask et al., 2012; Barnett et al., 2010).