Children's self-perceived bodily competencies and associations with motor skills, body mass index, teachers' evaluations, and parents' concerns.
The associations between physical competence, self-perceived bodily competence, parental concern for their children's motor skill development, and teachers' evaluation of their bodily competence were assessed in 646 six- to seven-year-olds. Physical competence was assessed by the German motor ability test "Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder", while the children's, their parents', and their teachers' evaluations were obtained through questionnaires. Parental concern, teacher evaluation, and a high body mass index were the strongest predictors of low physical competence (motor skill quotient < 85). Teachers' evaluation of bodily competence was associated with low self-perceived bodily competence in the children even after adjustment for motor skill quotient, with an odds ratio of 2.3 (P < 0.05) between the lowest and highest of the three levels after correction for motor skill competence. Results indicate that teachers' evaluation of children's motor skills should be considered a key factor when tracking and assessing physical competencies among youth.
Toftegaard-stoeckel
Jan
J
Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. jtoftegaard@health.sdu.dk
Groenfeldt
Vivian
V
Andersen
Lars Bo
LB
D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010290:Parents; D010465:Perception; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires