Motor competence, Physical Fitness, Self-Perception and Physical Activity in Children

Several factors, such as motor competence, physical fitness and self-perception, correlate with children’s willingness and effort of participating in physical activity. These variables are found to differ by gender and level of motor competence. However, only few studies, have investigated all these variables in the same subjects, and measurements used do not seem to separate well enough between for example motor competence and physical fitness. Thus, a further investigation of the relationship between these variables from a multidimensional approach seems to be required. The aim of the present thesis was to contribute to a better understanding of how motor competence in children at the age of 11 relates to physical fitness, self-perception and physical activity, and thereby to children’s health and well-being.The four papers included in this thesis are cross-sectional. In all papers, 67 school children aged between 10 and 11 constituted the sample. The children were tested in motor competence, physical fitness, self-perception and physical activity, by Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC), Test of Physical Fitness (TPF), Harter’s Self-perception Profile for Children (SPPC) and two questions of physical activity.The findings presented in the four papers indicate that children’s motor competence have considerable implications for physical fitness, self-perception and physical activity. The results revealed a strong relationship between motor competence, physical fitness and selfperception in children that varied by gender. In particular, self-perception seems to be strongest related to motor competence in girls, while boys’ self-perception is strongest related to physical fitness. Significant gender differences were found in the ball skills tasks and one of the balance tasks of MABC in favor of the boys, but no differences in the manual dexterity tasks. Additionally, boys outperformed girls in seven out of nine tasks in the physical fitness test, and scored higher in several items of physical self-perception. Furthermore, the findings showed that children with lower motor competence had poorer results in all tasks of TPF, lower perception of athletic competence and social acceptance and were less active in vigorous physical activity.The results revealed a strong relationship between motor competence, physical fitness and self-perception, and varied by gender and level of motor competence. This implies that all these factors are of essential importance to facilitate beneficial health in children, such as participation in physical activity. Consequently, these results may be worth noting in a clinical as well as an educational setting, and expanded knowledge in this area may contribute to better customized training in school and in leisure activities to promote increased physical activity for both current and later health status in children.