Motor competences and 24 hour movement in preschool children
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v77.116981Keywords:
Motor skills, physical activity, screen time, sedentary behavior, sleep timeAbstract
Introduction: Childhood is a critical stage for the development of motor competence and the adoption of healthy behaviors, such as physical activity, adequate sleep and limiting screen time.
Aim: To characterize the motor competence of children aged 3 to 5 and to verify its relationship with scheduled physical activity habits, sedentary behaviour and sleep duration.
Methods: A cross-sectional, exploratory study with 98 children (59 female and 39 male) from the public pre-school network in Beja (Portugal). Motor skills were assessed using the MOBAK-KG battery and data on physical activity, screen time and sleep were collected using the AF1 questionnaire from the National Food and Physical Activity Survey.
Results: The average global motor competence was 9.62 ± 3.57 points, with no significant differences between genders (p>0.05). No child simultaneously complied with the three 24-hour movement recommendations, 31.5% complied with the screen time recommendation and 18% with the sleep recommendation. There were statistically significant associations between higher levels of motor competence and compliance with the sleep time (χ²=10.3; p=0.006) and screen time (χ²=9.9; p=0.007) recommendations. The associations were consistent in the subscales: manipulation (p=0.004) and locomotion (p=0.005 for screen time; p=0.024 for sleep).
Conclusions: The results highlight the need to implement educational strategies that promote regular physical activity, limited screen time and an adequate sleep routine in order to enhance motor development in childhood.
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