Physical activity during school-time and fundamental movement skills: a study among preschoolers with and without physical education classes

Abstract

ABSTRACT Purpose To analyze associations between physical activity (PA) during school hours and fundamental movement skills (FMS) of young children with and without PE classes. Methods This cross-sectional study examined 201 children of both sexes (102 girls, 50.7%), aged 3–5 years old (4.51 ± 0.79), who were engaged (n = 129) or not (n = 72) in physical education (PE) classes weekly. Light (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were assessed by accelerometer during school hours over five consecutive days, and FMS was assessed using the TGMD-2. To verify the association between PA (LPA and MVPA) and FMS (locomotor and object control scores) in both PE and NPE groups, multiple linear regression analysis was used. Results MVPA during school hours was significantly associated with object control performance in the PE group (β = 0.14 p = .025). A model with LPA and MVPA explained 4% of the object control performance variability. Conclusion The positive association observed between MVPA and object control skills on those preschoolers involved in PE classes highlight that opportunities in structured PE classes should be used as a central strategy to promote motor development in preschool settings.