Relationships between Socioeconomic Indicators and Motor Performance of Schoolchildren in Slovakia.

Tomas Peric,Pavel Ruzbarsky,James J Tufano

doi:10.3390/ijerph182413153

Abstract

Physical inactivity is currently a significant problem in Western societies. Among the many factors that affect the amount of physical activity in children, socioeconomic status, the type of school, and the area where they live can play a major role in physical development. A total of 31,620 children (6.3 ± 0.53 years; 15,726 boys; 15,893 girls), representing 55.6 % of the entire Slovak population of first graders, participated in eight motor performance (MP) tests, the results of which were correlated with somatic parameters (body height, body weight, and body mass index (BMI)) and socioeconomic indicators (SEIs) within the children’s respective territorial regions. The largest correlations were observed between MP and unemployment rate (r = −0.802) and between MP and economically active population with primary education (r = −0.807). Other correlations between MP and SEIs were also found at the level of self-governing regions (r = 0.995) and districts (r = 0.551). SEIs and MP were strongly correlated, indicating that children who grow up in better socioeconomic environments display greater MP. Therefore, national and local governments should provide tangible and intangible resources to enable the proper development of children’s MP.

Highlights

In 2015, the Slovak government passed a new Sports Act that requires nationwide assessment of children’s physical abilities in grades 1 and 3 in elementary schools
The results presented are for information only and were used as a basis for further analysis
The question arose whether it was appropriate to compare socioeconomic indicators (SEIs) at the district level because they could duplicate the level of SEIs in the self-governing regions

Summary

Introduction

In 2015, the Slovak government passed a new Sports Act that requires nationwide assessment of children’s physical abilities in grades 1 and 3 in elementary schools This testing took place in the Slovak Republic for the first time in 2018 and should subsequently be implemented every year, which provides a unique opportunity to evaluate various aspects of motor performance in children on a large scale. Physical inactivity is currently a significant problem in Western societies and has a significantly negative impact on children It can manifest in various ways, such as elevated body weight, which can lead to childhood obesity, which can further lead to noncommunicable diseases during adulthood, such as cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, ischemic heart disease), diabetes, and others [1,2,3]. It is necessary to intervene with measures to increase physical activity in the early stages in life

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