Title
A multivariate multilevel analysis of youth motor competence. The Peruvian Health and Optimist Growth Study
Date Issued
01 December 2020
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
dos Santos C.S.P.
Hedeker D.
Vasconcelos O.
Garganta R.
Tani G.
Katzmarzyk P.T.
Maia J.
Universidad Nacional de Educación Enrique Guzmán y Valle
Publisher(s)
Blackwell Munksgaard
Abstract
We use a multivariate multilevel model to study the links between physical fitness (PF) and gross motor coordination (GMC) and investigate the influence of predictors affecting their levels across age. We sampled 7918 Peruvians, aged 6-15 years, from sea-level, Amazon region and high-altitude. Composite markers of GMC and PF were derived (GMCz and PFz, respectively). BMI, biological maturation, and stunting were assessed. School characteristics were obtained via an objective audit. School contexts explained 35% of the associations between PFz and GMCz, whereas children's characteristics explained 65% of the total variation. On average, with increasing age, there was a greater increase in GMCz (β = 0.79 ± 0.04, P <.001) than in PFz (β = 0.15 ± 0.03, P <.001); boys outperformed girls (PFz, β = 3.25 ± 0.08, P <.001; GMCz, β = 1.58 ± 0.09, P <.001); those with lower BMI and ahead in their maturation had higher PFz (β = −0.13 ± 0.01, P <.001; β = 1.09 ± 0.05, P <.001, respectively) and GMCz (β = −0.18 ± 0.01, P <.001; β = 0.39 ± 0.06, P <.001, respectively) levels. Stunting was negatively related to PFz (β = −0.30 ± 0.07; P <.001) and GMCz (β = −0.30 ± 0.08, P <.001) and high-altitude Peruvians had significantly lower GMCz (β = −0.93 ± 0.33, P <.001), and those living in the Amazon region had significantly higher PFz (β = 1.21 ± 0.58, P <.001) compared to those living at sea level. A higher number of students was negatively related to PFz (β = −0.016 ± 0.006, P <.001) and positively with GMCz (β = 0.005 ± 0.003, P <.001); the duration of physical education classes was positively associated with PFz (β = 0.70 ± 0.32, P <.001) and GMCz (β = 0.46 ± 0.15, P <.001); and the existence of policies for physical activity was only negatively associated with GMCz (β = −1.17 ± 0.34, P <.001). In conclusion, PFz and GMCz were positively correlated and child- and school-level traits predicted their levels.
Start page
2408
End page
2419
Volume
30
Issue
12
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Ciencias de la educación Ciencias del deporte y la aptitud física
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85093655542
PubMed ID
Source
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports
ISSN of the container
09057188
Sponsor(s)
The authors thank the schoolchildren of Barranco, Junín, San Ramon, and La Merced who participated in this study, as well as their parents. We also thank UNE's Physical Education students and teachers' professionalism in all steps of the data collection. Finally, we would like to recognize the late Emeritus Professor Gaston Beunen who was one of the prime movers of the Healthy and Optimistic Growth Study.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus