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Changes in Motor Competence after a Brief Physical Education Intervention Program in 4 and 5-Year-Old Preschool Children

Author

Listed:
  • Rubén Navarro-Patón

    (Departamento de Didácticas Aplicadas, Facultad de Formación del Profesorado, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 27001 Lugo, Spain)

  • Julien Brito-Ballester

    (Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, Universidad Europea del Atlántico, 39011 Santander, Spain)

  • Silvia Pueyo Villa

    (Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, Universidad Europea del Atlántico, 39011 Santander, Spain)

  • Vanessa Anaya

    (Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, Universidad Europea del Atlántico, 39011 Santander, Spain)

  • Marcos Mecías-Calvo

    (Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Europea del Atlántico, 39011 Santander, Spain
    Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Industrial de Cantabria (CITICAN), 39011 Santander, Spain)

Abstract

Low motor competence (MC) can cause low participation in physical activities in preschool children, and together with a high caloric intake, it can lead to obesity. Interventions on motor skills are effective in the short term to improve MC, therefore the objectives of this study were (1) to investigate the effect of a short six-week program on levels of motor competence in preschool children, and (2) to examine the effects of gender-based intervention. A total of 156 preschool children (5.20 ± 0.54 years old) from Lugo (Spain) participated. A quasi-experimental pre–post-test design was used with a control group of 76 students. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children—2nd Edition (MABC-2) was used to collect the data. Significant differences between the control and experimental groups were found after the intervention program in aiming and catching ( p < 0.001), balance ( p < 0.001), the total score of eight tests ( p < 0.001), and total percentile score ( p < 0.001). The results regarding gender in the experimental group showed a reduction in differences with respect to the initial results except in aiming and catching, where scores were higher in boys. The data suggest that the application of specific intervention programs in MC could positively influence the improvement of MC in preschool children, thus reducing differences between genders.

Suggested Citation

  • Rubén Navarro-Patón & Julien Brito-Ballester & Silvia Pueyo Villa & Vanessa Anaya & Marcos Mecías-Calvo, 2021. "Changes in Motor Competence after a Brief Physical Education Intervention Program in 4 and 5-Year-Old Preschool Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-14, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:9:p:4988-:d:550383
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rubén Navarro-Patón & Joaquín Lago-Ballesteros & Víctor Arufe-Giráldez & Alberto Sanmiguel-Rodríguez & Carlos Lago-Fuentes & Marcos Mecías-Calvo, 2021. "Gender Differences on Motor Competence in 5-Year-Old Preschool Children Regarding Relative Age," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-10, March.
    2. Donna Niemistö & Taija Finni & Eero A. Haapala & Marja Cantell & Elisa Korhonen & Arja Sääkslahti, 2019. "Environmental Correlates of Motor Competence in Children—The Skilled Kids Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-17, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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