Basic Motor Competencies of 6- to 8-Year-Old Primary School Children in 10 European Countries: A Cross-Sectional Study on Associations With Age, Sex, Body Mass Index, and Physical Activity.

Basic motor competencies (BMC) are a prerequisite for children to be physically active, participate in sports and thus develop a healthy, active lifestyle. The present study provides a broad screening of BMC and associations with age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and extracurricular physical activity (PA) in 10 different European countries. The different country and regional contexts within Europe will offer a novel view on already established BMC associations. The cross-sectional study was conducted in 11 regions in 10 European countries in 2018. The motor competence areas, object movement (OM) and self-movement (SM), were assessed using the MOBAK-1-2 test instrument in 3758 first and second graders (age: M = 6.86 ± 0.60 years; 50% girls) during Physical Education classes. Children were questioned about their extracurricular PA and age. Their body weight and height were measured in order to calculate BMI. Statistical analyses included variances and correlations. The results showed significant differences in BMC levels between countries (OM: F = 18.74, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.048; SM: F = 73.10, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.163) whereas associations between BMC and correlates were similar. Boys performed significantly better in OM while girls performed better in SM. Age was consistently positively related to OM and SM with older children reaching higher levels of BMC than younger ones. While participation rates for extracurricular PA differed widely, participation in ball sports was correlated with OM and SM. Participation in individual sports showed a significant association with SM. In summary, BMC levels of children seem to depend on where they live and are strongly related to their participation in extracurricular PA. Therefore, education and health policies, in order to enhance motor competence development and PA participation, are recommended. Further research on country-specific Physical Education frameworks and their influence on BMC will provide more insights into structural factors and cultural characteristics of BMC development. On a school level, support tools and educational materials for teachers about BMC may enable children to achieve a basic level of motor competencies through Physical Education, contributing to lifelong participation in PA.

Utility of a scale to assess Australian children's perceptions of their swimming competence and factors associated with child and parent perception.

ISSUE ADDRESSED: Drowning is a global public health issue. Aims were to assess: (a) face validity of the "Pictorial Scale of Perceived Water Competence (PSPWC)," (b) the association between child and parent perception of child swimming competence and (c) factors associated with perception of child swimming competence. METHODS: Child-parent dyads and swim instructors were recruited for a mixed method study. Children aged 4-8 years (n = 51) reported on: familiarity, progressions and their own swim competence in 17 swimming situations. Parents (n = 51) reported on child competence and swimming experience. Swim instructors (n = 15) were interviewed. Spearman's rank correlation was used to assess whether child and parent swim perception were associated. The Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test or Kruskal-Wallis test were used to assess which factors were associated with child and/or parent report. RESULTS: Children reported high familiarity of scenarios and could sequence items. Swim instructors concluded the PSPWC depicted swim skills accurately. There was no association between child and parent perception of children's swimming ability. Swimming level was positively associated with child perception but not parent proxy report. Swimming lesson experience, child sex, country of birth and disadvantage were not associated with child perception or parent proxy report. Older children perceived higher swimming competence but parent report was not associated with child age. CONCLUSIONS: Children have a better understanding of their swim competence than their parents do, suggesting parent education is needed. SO WHAT?: The PSPWC could be used by teachers (both swimming and classroom) to inform parents how their child estimates their swim competence. If use of this tool was incorporated into education practice this could assist in creating awareness, which can be the start of advocacy towards the creation of policy to assist in the provision of accessible swim education for all Australian children.