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The combination of three movement behaviours is associated with object control skills, but not locomotor skills, in preschoolers

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Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the association between combinations of adherence to movement behaviour recommendations and fundamental movement skills (FMS) in preschoolers. This is a cross-sectional study. Participants of the study were 212 preschool children (M = 3.97 years old; 51.4% male), who provided objectively assessed physical activity (PA) data (Actigraph wGT3X), and completed FMS assessments (TGMD-2). Sleep time and screen time were parent-reported through face-to-face interview. Associations between the combination of two or three movement behaviours and FMS were analyzed using structural equation modeling (Mplus; 8.0; p < 0.05). Positive and significant associations were found between adherence to screen + sleep recommendations and locomotor skills (β = 0.23; p = 0.027); and between adherence to PA + screen + sleep recommendations with object control skills (β = 0.28; p = 0.014). Negative and significant associations were found between screen + sleep with object control skills (β = − 0.28; p = 0.007). The adherence to the 24-h movement behaviour recommendations explained locomotor and object control skills variability by 5% and 7%, respectively.

Conclusion: The adherence to the combined movement behaviour recommendations may be a more important influence on FMS in preschoolers compared to any single movement behaviour in isolation.

What is Known:

• The association between the isolated adherence to movement behaviour (physical activity, screen time and sleep time) recommendations and fundamental movement skills (FMS) in preschoolers, and the role of the 24-h movement behaviours on FMS, has been previously reported.

What is New:

• This study adds important information to the current literature, when highlighting that the combined adherence to physical activity, screen time and sleep time recommendations is positively associated with object control skills (such as throwing and kicking), and the combination of screen time and sleep is positively associated with locomotor skills (such as running and hopping).

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Data availability

N/A

Abbreviations

SB:

Sedentary behaviour

PA:

Physical activity

FMS:

Fundamental movement skills

ECEC:

Early childhood education and care

TGMD-2:

Test of Gross Motor Development—Second Edition

BMI:

Body mass index

BIC:

Bayesian Information Criteria

CFI:

Comparative adjustment index

TLI:

Tucker-Lewis index

RMSEA:

Root mean square error

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Acknowledgements

To all parents, ECEC, João Pessoa Municipal Education Department and all the members of the Research Group on Physical Activity and Health Outcomes.

Clarice Martins was supported by the Brazilian Federal Foundation for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education-CAPES (CAPES-PRINT-88887.369625/2019-00).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Paraiba, Cidade Universitária, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil

    Clarice Martins, Anastácio Souza Filho & Thaynã Bezerra

  2. Research Centre of Physical Activity, Health and Leisure, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Porto, 4500, Porto, Portugal

    Clarice Martins & Jorge Mota

  3. Department of Physical Education, Regional University of Cariri, Crato, CE, Brazil

    Paulo Felipe Ribeiro Bandeira

  4. Research Associate School of Health Life Sciences, Coventry University, Priory Street, Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK

    Cain Clark & Michael Duncan

  5. Institute of Public and Preventive Health, 1120 15th Street, CJ 2312, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA

    Elizabeth Kipling Webster

Authors
  1. Clarice Martins
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  2. Paulo Felipe Ribeiro Bandeira
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  3. Anastácio Souza Filho
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  4. Thaynã Bezerra
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  5. Cain Clark
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  6. Elizabeth Kipling Webster
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  7. Jorge Mota
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  8. Michael Duncan
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Contributions

Substantial contributions to conception and design: all the authors

Acquisition of data: Bezerra and Souza Filho

Analysis and interpretation of data: all the authors

Drafting the article: Bezerra, Souza Filho, Martins and Bandeira

Revising it critically for important intellectual content: Clark, Webster, Duncan, Mota and Martins

Final approval of the version to be published: Duncan, Mota and Martins

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anastácio Souza Filho.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval

All procedures were approved by the university committee and the board of education. The Helsinki Declarations’ ethical aspects were followed (Association, 2013). The Research Ethics Committee of the Health Science Center of the Federal University of Paraiba and the local board of education approved the study (protocol no. 2.727.698).

Consent to participate

Participants had their participation in the study authorized by signing the parent or guardian’s consent form.

Consent for publication

Participants authorized the publication of the data by signing the parent or guardian’s consent form.

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Additional information

Communicated by Daniele De Luca

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Martins, C., Ribeiro Bandeira, P.F., Filho, A.S. et al. The combination of three movement behaviours is associated with object control skills, but not locomotor skills, in preschoolers. Eur J Pediatr 180, 1505–1512 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-020-03921-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-020-03921-z

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