Object Control Skills Research Articles

Effect of video games training on the gross motor skills of children with cerebral palsy: systematic review and meta-analysis.

The purpose of this work was to systematically evaluate the intervention effects of video games training (VGT) on the gross motor skills (GMS) development of children with cerebral palsy (CP). Seven Chinese and English databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, EBSCO) were searched. Data were retrieved from randomized controlled trials on the GMS among individuals with CP. The retrieval was from the inception of each database to March 16, 2021. The included studies were evaluated quantitatively using the PEDro Scale. Then, relevant data were inputted and analyzed in Review Manager 5.4. Thirteen papers were included: seven written in English and six in Chinese. In the three subordinate concept of GMS, VGT could significantly improve locomotor skills (LS) (standardized mean difference = 0.80, 95% confidence interval 0.55–105, P<0.00001), and non-locomotor skills (NLS) (standardized mean difference = 0.83, 95% confidence interval 0.38–1.28, P=0.0003) in CP. However, there was no significant difference in object control skills (OCS), when compared with the control group (standardized mean difference = 0.55, 95% confidence interval -0.01–0.72, P=0.05). VGT can improve LS and NLS in CP, but the effect on OCS is uncertain; therefore, it is recommended that additional high-quality literature be included in the future. In general, VGT has been proven an effective intervention tool on the GMS development in CP.

The relative age effect and gender difference on fundamental motor skills in preschool children aged 4–5 years

The main objective of this study was to examine the existence of Relative Age Effect (RAE) and analyze the effect of gender on Fundamental Motor Skills (FMS) of preschool children aged 4–5 years old. A total of 298 healthy preschool childrenwere evaluated. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2) was used to evaluate preschoolers’ FMS. The data showed the main effects on the semester of birth factor in locomotor skills (LM) and total test score (TTS) (p < 0.05), but not in object control skills (OC; p > 0.05). There were also significant main effects on the gender factor in LM and TTS (p < 0.05), but not in OC (p > 0.05). RAE is present in FMS in preschool children, with those born in the first semester outperforming those born in the second semester in LM and TTS. With respect to gender, the scores obtained by girls are higher in LM and TTS.

Correlation of Motor Competence and Social-Emotional Wellbeing in Preschool Children.

IntroductionThe relations of motor skills to different developmental domains, i.e., cognitive, emotional, and social domain, are well-documented in research on children with poor motor competence and children with disabilities. Less conclusive evidence on interaction of motor and social or emotional development can be seen in research on typically developing children. The purpose of this study was to determine a correlation between motor skills and social-emotional functioning in typically developing preschool children and to identify differences in social-emotional functioning in children with different levels of motor competence.MethodsA total of 125 preschool children (67 boys, 58 girls, average age 5.1 years) participated in this study. To assess children’s motor skills, we used the Test of Gross Motor Development–Second Edition that measures locomotor and object-control skills. To screen child’s social and emotional functioning, we used the Ages and Stages Questionnaire–Social Emotional: Second Edition. Spearman’s correlation analysis was used to determine association between motor skills and social-emotional functioning. Difference in social-emotional functioning between groups of preschool children with High and Low motor competences was calculated using Mann-Whitney U-test.ResultsThe main result of this study is weak correlation of child’s motor skills to social-emotional functioning. Furthermore, preschool children with High and Low motor competences do not differ in risk for social and emotional difficulties.ConclusionFurther research on typically developing children is needed to have more conclusive evidence on interaction of motor and social or emotional development.

Assessment of Energy Expenditure During Discrete Skill Performance Using Systematic Observation and Indirect Calorimetry

Purpose: To determine the accuracy of three systematic observation (SO) tools to estimate energy expenditure (EE) using different skill performance and observation intervals. Method: Three SO tools (Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children-Preschool, System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time, and System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth) were used to observe children (N = 42, Mage = 8.1 ± 0.7) during motor skill testing sessions. EE was measured using indirect calorimetry (COSMED K4b2). Results: Paired samples t tests, repeated-measures analysis of variance, and regression analyses were performed to compare the EE estimated from SO tools with EE measured by indirect calorimetry. The average mean difference between the estimated metabolic equivalence of task (METS) and actual METS ranged between −1.24 METS (SD = 1.62, p &lt; .01) and −3.46 METS (SD = 1.31, p &lt; .01) depending on skill performance interval or SO tool analyzed. Conclusions: SO tools did not accurately estimate EE during object control skill testing sessions. Physical educators should consider utilizing discrete motor skill practice to accumulate health-enhancing levels of physical activity while adhering to national standards.

Sex-Related Differences in the Association of Fundamental Movement Skills and Health and Behavioral Outcomes in Children

This study aimed to assess whether sex moderates the association of fundamental movement skills and health and behavioral outcomes. In 170 children (10.6 ±0.3 years; 98 girls), path analysis was used to assess the associations of fundamental movement skills (Get Skilled, Get Active) with perceived sports competence (Children and Youth—Physical Self-Perception Profile), time spent in vigorous-intensity physical activity, sedentary time, and body mass index z score. For boys, object control skill competence had a direct association with perceived sports competence (β = 0.39; 95% confidence interval, CI [0.21, 0.57]) and an indirect association with sedentary time, through perceived sports competence (β = −0.19; 95% CI [−0.09, −0.32]). No significant association was observed between fundamental movement skills and perceived sports competence for girls, although locomotor skills were found to predict vigorous-intensity physical activity (β = 0.18; 95% CI [0.08, 0.27]). Perceived sports competence was associated with sedentary time, with this being stronger for boys (β = −0.48; 95% CI [−0.64, −0.31]) than girls (β = −0.29; 95% CI [−0.39, −0.19]). The study supports a holistic approach to health-related interventions and highlights a key association of perceived sports competence and the time children spend sedentary.

Research of Performance Change Before and After in-Service Training for Relocation and Object Control Skills

Aim: This study aimed to understand the effect of a customized physical education program on displacement and object control skills of classroom teachers and to compare the performance change of their skills before and after in-service training. Methods: 25 classroom teachers who participated in the research were evaluated at the beginning (pre-test) and after the four-day in-service training program (post-test). It includes the sum of the skills of running, Gallopinging, bouncing, jumping, horizontal jumping, sliding, hitting the ball with the shuttlecock, bouncing, catching, kicking the ball, throwing and rolling. Results and Conclusion: Findings from both assessment tools show that he had significantly lower coordination and skills at the beginning, and this difference changed significantly and significantly after the training program. It was concluded that the basic movement skills differed after the training. The post-in-service training shows that the displacement and object control skills of the classroom teachers increased. Keywords: In-Service Training, Object Control, Performance Change,

Physical Activity and Fundamental Motor Skill Outcome: A Quasi-Experimental Study Among Rural Pre-schoolers in Kuching, Sarawak

Fundamental movement skills (FMS)-oriented school-based intervention allows children to be more competent and interested to participate in a wider range of physical activities. This study aimed to determine the physical activity and fundamental motor skills outcome from a school-based intervention programme among rural pre-schoolers in Kuching. It used a quasi-experimental non-randomised design with a total of 153 children from 9 government kindergartens. For physical activity level, there was a significant difference between the intervention and control group at the 3 months, F (1, 151) = 3.90, p = 0.05, with a ŋ2 = 0.025 and 6 months-time duration, F (1, 151) = 55.70, p < 0.001, with a ŋ2 = 0.27. The same pattern of interaction effect (time * group) was also found in gross motor skill, F (2, 150) = 80.9, p < 0.001, ŋ2 = 0.52, where the mean score in intervention group was greater than in control group. It is important to understand in depth each of the skills components involved in locomotor and object control and also its differences between the boys and girls, as it can help in planning of the module of an intervention programme. Object control skills have higher predictive value in engaging in wider range of PA which could be the possible reason why boys are more active than girls.

Gross motor impairment and its relation to social skills in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and two meta-analyses.

Gross motor ability is associated with profound differences in how children experience and interact with their social world. A rapidly growing literature on motor development in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) indicates that autistic individuals exhibit impairment in gross motor skills. However, due to substantial heterogeneity across studies, it remains unclear which gross motor skills are impaired in ASD, when and for whom these differences emerge, and whether motor and social impairments are related. The present article addressed these questions by synthesizing research on gross motor skills in ASD in two separate meta-analyses. The first examined gross motor deficits in ASD compared to neurotypical (NT) controls, aggregating data from 114 studies representing 6,423 autistic and 2,941 NT individuals. Results demonstrated a significant overall deficit in gross motor skills in ASD (Hedges' g = -1.04) that was robust to methodological and phenotypic variation and was significant at every level of the tested moderators. However, moderation analyses revealed that this deficit was most pronounced for object control skills (i.e., ball skills), clinical assessment measures, and movements of the upper extremities or the whole body. The second meta-analysis investigated whether gross motor and social skills are related in ASD, synthesizing data from 21 studies representing 654 autistic individuals. Findings revealed a modest but significant overall correlation between gross motor and social skills in ASD (r = 0.27). Collectively, results support the conclusion that motor deficits are tied to the core symptoms of ASD. Further research is needed to test the causality and directionality of this relationship. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

School-Age Children's Actual Motor Competence and Perceived Physical Competence: A 3-Yr Follow-up.

This study examined school-age children's actual motor competence (MC) and perceived physical competence (PC) over 3 yr along with the covariate effects of gender and body mass index (BMI). Participants were 1121 (girls 573, boys 548) children (mean age, 11.26 ± 0.32 yr) from 35 randomly selected public schools across Finland. MC was assessed using three movement tests targeting locomotor, stability, and object control skills, and PC was assessed using the sport competence subscale of the Physical Self-Perception Profile via four-phase monitoring. MC and PC remained stable over time. Of the three variables, locomotor skills showed the strongest association with PC. Lower BMI was associated with advanced MC skills and a less steep decrease in locomotor and stability skills over time. The acquisition of fundamental motor skills in childhood and early adolescence is a prerequisite for enhancing MC and PC. The contribution of locomotor skills to PC indicated that versatile lower limb strength, speed, dynamic balance, and movement skills are important for positive subjective beliefs about PC capability. Increasing the MC skills of the children in most need, particularly those with high BMI scores, merits special attention.

Everyone Can Implement Eduball in Physical Education to Develop Cognitive and Motor Skills in Primary School Students.

Studies suggest that incorporating core academic subjects into physical education (PE) stimulates the development of both motor and cognitive skills in primary school students. For example, several experiments show that children’s participation in Eduball, i.e., a method that uses educational balls with printed letters, numbers, and other signs, improves their physical fitness while simultaneously developing their mathematical and language skills. However, the question of who should conduct such classes to make them most effective (regular classroom teachers, physical education teachers, or maybe both in cooperation?) remains unanswered. Here, we replicated a previous Eduball experiment, but now, instead of one experimental group, there were three. In the first, Eduball-classes were conducted by the classroom teacher, in the second, by the physical education teacher, and in the third, collaboratively. After one year intervention, all experimental groups significantly improved both their cognitive (mathematical, reading, and writing) and gross motor (locomotor and object control) skills, and these effects were larger than in the control group participating in traditional PE. Importantly, there were no differences in progression between the Eduball-groups. Thus, our study demonstrates that methods linking PE with cognitive tasks can be effectively used by both PE specialists and general classroom teachers.

Physical education interventions improve the fundamental movement skills in kindergarten: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Fundamental motor skills (FMS) are the foundation for the development of advanced motor skills. To assess the effect of physical activity intervention on the promotion of FMS and explore the influencing factor of physical activity intervention on the development of FMS in preschool children. Trails with children aged 3-7yeas in kindergarten settings that applied physical activity intervention programs were included. We calculated the effects on overall FMS, locomotor skill and object control skill subscales (LMS and OCS) by weighted standardized mean differences using random-effects models. In this study, 23 trials involving 2258 preschoolers (aged 3.3-6.5years) were selected, including 7 high quality studies, 11 medium quality studies and 5 low quality studies. Analysis of the effects of physical activity intervention revealed significant differences among groups in favor of intervention group, FMS (SMD = 1.50, 95% CL [1.29, 1.71], I2 = 89.7%), locomotor skills (SMD = 1.56, 95% CL [1.38, 1.75], I2 = 59.2%), object control skills (SMD = 1.43, 95% CL [1.25, 1.61], I2 = 93.8%). Physical activity interventions can significantly improve FMS in healthy preschool aged children. However, we should be cautious due to the limited researches, low-quality evidence and immediate post-intervention effects without long-term follow-up.

Fundamental movement skills in preschoolers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: a serial cross-sectional study.

BackgroundPhysical inactivity during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have hindered the development of fundamental movement skills in preschoolers. This serial cross-sectional study compared fundamental movement skills by age group before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2019–2020), among Japanese preschoolers aged 3–5 years.MethodsOf the 22 preschools within Unnan City, Shimane Prefecture, Japan, 21 (95.5%) and 17 (77.3%) participated in the 2019 and 2020 surveys, respectively. We analyzed 608 and 517 preschoolers in both surveys. Fundamental movement skills were objectively assessed with a 25 m run, standing long jump, and softball throw, based on the Japanese physical activity guidelines for preschoolers. Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare the fundamental movement skills data between periods.ResultsFor the 25 m run, participants aged 5 years were faster before than during the pandemic (p = 0.018), while participants aged 3 and 4 years showed no significant differences. Participants aged 3–5 years showed no significant differences before and during the pandemic for the standing long jump (p ≥ 0.072). For the softball throw, all grades scored higher before than during the pandemic (p < 0.001).ConclusionsThese findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic impeded the development of fundamental motor skills, especially for object control skills. This highlights the need for interventions aimed at developing fundamental motor skills in preschoolers during and after the pandemic.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1265/ehpm.22-00049.

Differences of Motor Proficiency in Preschool Girls Related to Organized Physical Activity

This study purpose was to determine the level of motor competence and differences in motor skills of preschool girls aged 5 to 7 from Serbia according to participation in organized physical activities. &#x0D; Materials and methods. Ninety-one girls aged 5-7 years (mean ± 6.4) were divided into three subsamples: control group, rhythmic gymnastics and sports school. Girls were assessed with the MABC-2 test. Descriptive statistics analyzed the basic characteristics of participants according to the level of motor competence. Furthermore, Pearson’s χ2 test for contingency tables, MANOVA and discriminant analysis were employed to find differences in motor proficiency among groups. &#x0D; Results. Significant differences have been found in girls attending rhythmic gymnastics in aiming &amp; catching on the upper bound of moderate effect size (p &lt; 0.001, η2 = 139), and total test score moderate effect size (p = 0.006, η2 = 0.105) compared to girls who did not participate in organized physical activity. The discrimination coefficient explained the differences in girls in aiming and catching, with a contribution of 41.4%, balance skills with 24%, and a total test score of 22.9%. According to the level of motor competence, 61% from the control group and 40% from the sports school group scored below average in aiming &amp; catching. The total test score of ≥ 50 percentile was achieved by 68.3% of girls in the control group, 84% in the sports school group, and 96% in rhythmic gymnastics. &#x0D; Conclusion. This study confirms that sports practice contributes to the development of motor capabilities and influences individual differences in children’s scores. Our findings can contribute to understanding how important it is to promote object control skills games for girls and older preschoolers generally.

Mediating Effect of Motor Competence on the Relationship between Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

This study examined the mediating role of motor competence in the association between physical activity (PA) and quality of life (QoL) and the moderating role of age in the indirect relationship between PA and QoL in children with ADHD. Eighty-six children aged 6-12 years old (M age = 8.45, SD = 1.40, 17.4% girls) with the diagnosis of ADHD were recruited in this study. Participants wore a wGT3X-BT accelerometer on their wrist for seven consecutive days to measure PA. Motor competence was measured by the Test of Gross Motor Development-Third Edition (TGMD-3). Quality of life (QoL) was assessed by the parent-reported Chinese version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. MVPA was positively associated with object control skills but was not directly related to QoL. Using the bootstrapping method, the indirect effect of object control was found between MVPA and social functioning (0.10, 95%CI = [0.01, 0.21]), school functioning (0.09, 95%CI = [0.01, 0.18]), and overall QoL (0.07, 95%CI = [0.01, 0.16]), supporting the full mediation effect. Moderated mediation analysis further revealed that age strengthened the indirect effect from MVPA to social and school functioning via object control. Findings of this study indicated that MVPA is positively associated with object control skills, which in turn, is related to psychological aspects of QoL in children with ADHD. Age was found to moderate the indirect mediation paths. The findings may inform future expeditions on designing an effective intervention that helps to improve MC and QoL in children with ADHD.

“You Throw Like a Girl!”: Young Children’s Gender Stereotypes About Object Control Skills

ABSTRACT Purpose: Understanding if children hold stereotypes about motor skills, may partially explain differences in object control performance between young boys and girls. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine whether young boys and girls held stereotypes related to object control skills. Methods: Children (N = 84) ages three years four months to five years seven months (Mage = 4.6 years, SD = .58) completed the Test of Gross Motor Development—Second Edition and a modified version of the Children’s Occupations, Activities and Traits Measure. Spearman Rho correlations examined associations between children’s stereotypes and actual object control skills performance. We then examined differences between boys’ and girls’ gender stereotypes (three for each category) and object control skills via independent samples t-tests. Results: Results showed significant associations between gender stereotypes toward object control skills and actual object control skills for girls (ρ = −.31—−.53, p < .05) but not for boys (ρ = .10—.14, p > .05). Concurrently, girls showed significantly lower object control skills than boys (t[82] = 2.01; p = .042, d = .44) as well as significantly higher gender stereotypes across all three categories (p < .05, d = .54–1.77). Conclusion: These data indicated that girls, not boys, held gender stereotypes about object control skills in concert with lower object control skill performances. Future research should evaluate the impacts of an integrated gross motor intervention which seeks to change gender stereotypes and concurrently improve object control skill performance.

Development of fundamental motor skills between 2006 and 2016 in Dutch primary school children

ABSTRACT Background Fundamental Motor Skills (FMS) are important building blocks for children’s sport-participation and lifelong physical activity. In the last decade, several international studies have reported delays in the development of FMS. To get better insight into the Dutch situation and to provide future directions, this study examined the development of FMS in Dutch primary school children. Method The main goal of this study is to compare FMS of 11–12-year-old Dutch children in 2016 with scores of similarly-aged-children in 2006. In addition, gender, age, BMI were taken into account, to see whether changes in motor performance are related to these child characteristics. FMS-test scores on seven motor competence tests (balance, swing, jump, roll, shoot, throwing and catching, and tennis) from 1939 children in 2016 were set side by side with those of 1648 children in 2006. Temporal changes in motor competence scores were analyzed using regression-analysis. Results This cross-sectional study shows better results for the children in 2006 compared to similarly-aged-children in 2016. Lower scores were found on six out of seven tested FMS, with the largest declines on the object control skills tennis and throwing and catching. Only vaulting jump skills remained on the same level. Overall, children with a higher BMI scored lower on all tests, except for throwing and catching via the wall. On the balancing, jumping and tennis test, the gap with children with a lower BMI widened over the last decade. Girls showed a lower competence level on rolling, shooting and throwing and catching compared to boys. During the last decade, their performance on the tennis test decreased more than for boys. Conclusions Results of this study are alarming as diminishing motor skills are related to lower sport participation and poorer health outcomes. For the future generation, new interventions are needed to help children reach a sufficient proficiency level in FMS, to prevent or overcome the negative effects of lowered motor skills. Targeting FMS components during physical education and outside of school hours may potentially be a valuable strategy in reverting the lowering FMS levels amongst children.

Cross-cultural comparison of fundamental movement skills in 9- to 10-year-old children from England and China

The present study aimed to examine cross-cultural differences in fundamental movement skills (FMS) proficiency levels in children aged 9–10 years old in England and China, using a process-oriented FMS measurement. Four FMS (run, jump, throw, catch) were measured using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2). The sample consisted of 272 (58.3% boys, 41.7% girls) Chinese children and 273 (48.7% boys, 51.3% girls) English children. ANCOVA analysis for the raw FMS scores showed significant sex by country interaction ( P = .022, partial η2 = .01). Chinese children scored higher than English children on total FMS, locomotor, and object control skill subsets. Additional Chi-squared analyses revealed significant differences regarding mastery levels of skills, with a higher proportion of Chinese children being classified as having advanced skill proficiency across three of four selected FMS (i.e. run, throw, and catch). The substantial cross-cultural differences found may be related to aspects such as Physical Education (PE) provision and process, educational policy, and other physical activity opportunities (e.g. extracurricular organised sports). Our findings require further examination of the contextual influences, in order to understand the optimal strategies that promote children's FMS development through PE, youth sports, or physical activity promotion.

Object Control Skill Performance across the Lifespan: A Cross Sectional Study

ABSTRACT Purpose: Studies on object control skills (OCS) have described changes in movement patterns over time, but mostly in children and adolescents, young adults, or older adults. Most of these studies focused on only one skill and usually only on the process- or product-oriented outcomes. Thus, this study aimed to explore OCS performance in children, younger adults, and older adults. Methods: A total of 120 male participants took part in this study, including 78 primary school children (7.96 ± 1.22 years), 22 young adults (23.5 ± 2.34 years), and 20 older adults (69.5 ± 4.43 years). We assessed the process-oriented performance of throwing, kicking, and catching performance using the component approach. Throwing and kicking velocity was recorded with a STALKER SOLO 2.0 radar gun. For catching, the number of caught balls was assessed. Results. Young adults had the highest component levels in all OCS; they also produced significantly higher throwing and kicking velocities than children and older adults. The proportion of participants achieving mastery or advanced skill proficiency varied significantly in children (6.4–32.1%), young adults (63.6–100.0%), and older adults (10.0–95.0%). With few exceptions, the results showed mainly moderately significant correlations between developmental levels and throwing/kicking velocity or number of successfully caught balls for all age groups. Conclusion: Our data indicate that children in particular rarely demonstrate advanced OCS and that there is a decrease in throwing and kicking but not in catching in older adults compared to the younger age groups.

Comparison of The Effect of a Selected Training Period and Core Stability on Object Control Skills in 4-6 Years Old Children

Comparison of The Effect of a Selected Training Period and Core Stability on Object Control Skills in 4-6 Years Old Children

Development and application of an electrical buzz wire to evaluate eye-hand coordination and object control skill in children: a feasibility study

PurposeThere are many instruments to test children’s motor coordination, but the problem is that none of them evaluates accuracy and precision during motor tasks. Therefore, the aim of the study was to develop and test the applicability of electrical buzz wire (EBW) as an instrument for assessing eye-hand coordination and object control skill in children, as well as to delimit the mean time and errors in tasks involving speed and/or accuracy.MethodsThe cross-sectional study involved 66 children (28 boys and 38 girls) aged 7–12 years. The variables evaluated were anthropometrics, hand dominance, and Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2). The outcomes were time (s) and error (n) during 4 tasks while changing speed and wire loop size.ResultsThe ANOVA analysis showed statistically significant differences in the time variable [F(4, 502) = 8.6155, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001] and in the error [F(6, 502) = 69.209, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001]. The mean values of time and errors in each task were standardized after linear regression: 2.38 errors and 37 seconds in task 1; 3.2 errors and 35 seconds in task 2; 6.4 errors and 24 seconds in task 3; and 6.4 errors and 23.1 seconds in task 4. The error and time variables in EBW presented weak negative correlations with all MABC-2 domains.ConclusionsEBW was developed; the time and errors with a comfortable speed were lower than with a high speed, regardless of the difficulty level. Time and error values were also standardized in this age group.