Fundamental Motor Skills Intervention for School-age Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a motor intervention program on the improvement of fundamental motor skills (including motor skills and object control skills) in school-aged children through a meta-analysis system based on the US Gross Motor Development Test to determine further the effects of motor intervention on fundamental motor skills in school-aged children. A comprehensive search of relevant literature in PubMed and Web of Science databases was conducted to include trials on motor interventions published up to October 2021, examining the effects of motor intervention programs on fundamental motor skills in school-aged children. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool identified studies of acceptable methodological quality. Meta-analyses showed that motor interventions had an effect on children's overall fundamental motor skills (N=1197, SMD=0.94, 95% Cl:0.81-1.07, p<0.00001, I²=79%, random-effects model) and object control skills (N=1380, SMD=0.83, 95% Cl:0.45-1.21, p<0.0001, I²=89%, random-effects model) improved by a larger effect size. In contrast, the effect size for improvement in motor skills (N=1380, SMD=0.57, 95% Cl:0.29-0.85, p<0.0001, I²=80%, random-effects model) was moderate. The combined analyses suggest that motor intervention programs can improve children's performance of fundamental motor skills to some extent. However, the optimal type of motor intervention needs to be further determined in subsequent studies. Considering the limitations of this study, the findings need to be interpreted and applied with caution.