Relationship of Quantitative Measures of Jumping Performance with Gross Motor Development in Typically Developed Preschool Children.

Jing-Ling Wang,Hsiu-Chen Lin,Shih-Hen Sun

doi:10.3390/ijerph19031661

Abstract

Jumping is a key movement developing in the preschool period, but limited studies have reported the determinants of jumping performance and its relationship with gross motor development. This study aimed to determine the correlations among jumping performance, quantitative parameters of jumping, and gross motor development in preschool children. Twenty-one preschool children were recruited from one kindergarten, and fifteen of them with complete data were further analyzed. The quantitative parameters of standing long jump (SLJ) and standing vertical jump (SVJ) were measured using a video-based motion capture system. The gross motor development was measured using the Preschooler Gross Motor Quality Scale (PGMQ). The Spearman’s rho value and a linear regression model were used to determine the relationships among the jumping performance, the quantitative measures, and the total PGMQ scores. The results indicate that the jumping performances were significantly correlated with the takeoff velocity, which was predicted by trunk inclination before takeoff in SLJ and by the ranges of trunk inclination during jumping in SVJ. Regression analysis showed that the preschool children with higher normalized jump height had better gross motor development, and that the jump performance and the gross motor development were directly or indirectly predicted by the slope of the hip-to-ankle angle plot during pre-takeoff. In conclusion, this study identifies key components of jumping in jumping performance and gross motor development in preschool children for physical education.

Highlights

Preschool is a crucial period for young children to develop many fundamental movements and to learn and gradually master various motor skills
This study found that several quantitative parameters were correlated with the performance in two types of jumping, including takeoff velocity (TOV), trunk forward inclination before takeoff (TkBTO), and TkROM
Regression analysis further showed that the preschool children with higher normalized jump height had better gross motor development

Summary

Introduction

Preschool is a crucial period for young children to develop many fundamental movements and to learn and gradually master various motor skills. Motor skills are categorized by different aspects, such as muscle groups and developmental taxonomies. In terms of developmental taxonomies, motor skills can be categorized into non-locomotor stability, locomotor, and manipulative skills [4]. Non-locomotor stability is the ability to maintain or control axial movements, which is the basis for locomotor and manipulative skills. Lacking a mastered level of specific locomotor skills will impede further development of these skills [5]. Manipulative skills such as ball skills involve a delivery of force between a person and an object.

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