Physical activity, motor competence and health-related fitness during childhood: longitudinal associations and effects of intervention programs

Abstract

Recent research indicates a positive association between physical activity, motor competence and health-related physical fitness, with important benefits to human development and prevention of non-communicable diseases. However, knowledge about longitudinal associations and effects of intervention programs is scarce. The present project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention program focused on learning fundamental motor skills in childhood and its impact on the longitudinal associations between motor competence, physical activity and physical fitness (follow-up study). At the beginning of the study, around 400 children between 3 and 5 years of age will be randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Physical activity (wGT3X), motor skills (TGMD-2, KTK and ball velocity in the throw and kick) and physical fitness (EUROFIT and FITNESSGRAM) will be measured annually, as well as questionnaires for measuring sociodemographic variables and family environment. The intervention program, focused on fundamental motor skills, will take place during one school year, with two 60-minute weekly classes, and will also include semester lectures to teachers and family members about the importance of physical activity in childhood. In both groups (intervention and control), the measurements will be performed before the intervention program (baseline) and repeated at the end of the intervention (follow-up 1), one year after the end of the intervention (follow-up 2) and so on until the year 2027 (annual follow-up). (AU)