Ryan D Burns1, You Fu2, James C Hannon3, Timothy A Brusseau4. 1. Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Recreation, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT;, Email: ryan.d.burns@utah.edu. 2. Assistant Professor, School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV. 3. Dean and Professor, College of Education, Health, and Human Services, Kent State University, Kent, OH. 4. Associate Professor, Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Recreation, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We examined the effect of a comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP) on gross motor skills in children. METHODS: Participants were 959 children (1st-6th grade; Mean age = 9.1 ± 1.5 years; 406 girls, 553 boys) recruited from 5 low-income schools receiving a year-long CSPAP intervention. Data were collected at the beginning of the school year and at a 36-week follow-up. Gross motor skills were assessed using the Test for Gross Motor Development (3rd ed.) (TGMD-3) instrument. Multi-level mixed effects models were employed to examine the effect of CSPAP on TGMD-3 scores, testing age and sex as effect modifiers and adjusting for clustering of observations within the data structure. RESULTS: There were statistically significant coefficients for time (β = 8.1, 95% CI [3.9, 12.3], p < .001) and an age × time interaction (β = -1.7, 95% CI [-2.3, -1.1], p < .001) on TGMD-3 total scores. Significant improvements were also seen for locomotor skills and ball skills sub-test scores. CONCLUSIONS: Children showed improved gross motor skill scores at the end of the 36-week CSPAP that were modified by age, as younger children displayed greater improvements in TGMD-3 scores compared to older children.
OBJECTIVE: We examined the effect of a comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP) on gross motor skills in children. METHODS:Participants were 959 children (1st-6th grade; Mean age = 9.1 ± 1.5 years; 406 girls, 553 boys) recruited from 5 low-income schools receiving a year-long CSPAP intervention. Data were collected at the beginning of the school year and at a 36-week follow-up. Gross motor skills were assessed using the Test for Gross Motor Development (3rd ed.) (TGMD-3) instrument. Multi-level mixed effects models were employed to examine the effect of CSPAP on TGMD-3 scores, testing age and sex as effect modifiers and adjusting for clustering of observations within the data structure. RESULTS: There were statistically significant coefficients for time (β = 8.1, 95% CI [3.9, 12.3], p < .001) and an age × time interaction (β = -1.7, 95% CI [-2.3, -1.1], p < .001) on TGMD-3 total scores. Significant improvements were also seen for locomotor skills and ball skills sub-test scores. CONCLUSIONS:Children showed improved gross motor skill scores at the end of the 36-week CSPAP that were modified by age, as younger children displayed greater improvements in TGMD-3 scores compared to older children.