title: Change, stability and prediction of gross motor co-ordination in Portuguese children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The knowledge about intra- and inter-individual variation can stimulate attempts at description, interpretation and prediction of motor co-ordination (MC).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyse change, stability and prediction of motor co-ordination (MC) in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 158 children, 83 boys and 75 girls, aged 6, 7 and 8 years, were evaluated in 2006 and re-evaluated in 2012 at 12, 13 and 14 years of age. MC was assessed through the Kiphard-Schilling's body co-ordination test and growth, skeletal maturity, physical fitness, fundamental motor skills (FMS), physical activity and socioeconomic status (SES) were measured and/or estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Repeated-measures MANOVA indicated that there was a significant effect of group, sex and time on a linear combination of the MC tests. Univariate tests revealed that group 3 (8-14 years) scored significantly better than group 1 (6-12 years) in all MC tests and boys performed better than girls in hopping for height and moving sideways. Scores in MC were also higher at follow-up than at baseline. Inter-age correlations for MC were between 0.15-0.74. Childhood predictors of MC were growth, physical fitness, FMS, physical activity and SES. Biological maturation did not contribute to prediction of MC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MC seemed moderately stable from childhood through adolescence and, additionally, inter-individual predictors at adolescence were growth, FMS, physical fitness, physical activity and SES.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Physical Education and Sports , University of Madeira , Funchal , Portugal .
authors.forename: António M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.affiliation: b CIFI2D, Faculty of Sport , University of Porto , Porto , Portugal .
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.affiliation: a Department of Physical Education and Sports , University of Madeira , Funchal , Portugal .
authors.forename: Élvio R
authors.initials: ÉR
authors.lastname: Gouveia
authors.affiliation: c KU Leuven, Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Kinesiology , Physical Activity, Sports & Health Research Group , Leuven , Belgium , and.
authors.forename: Martine A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Thomis
authors.affiliation: c KU Leuven, Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Kinesiology , Physical Activity, Sports & Health Research Group , Leuven , Belgium , and.
authors.forename: Johan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lefevre
authors.affiliation: a Department of Physical Education and Sports , University of Madeira , Funchal , Portugal .
authors.forename: Alexandra Q
authors.initials: AQ
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: a Department of Physical Education and Sports , University of Madeira , Funchal , Portugal .|d Department of Mathematical Sciences , University of Essex , Colchester , UK.
authors.forename: Duarte L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Freitas
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D011174:Portugal
keywords: Biological maturation; children; co-ordination; skills; tracking