Motor Competence and Physical Activity in Pediatric Development

Motor competence, defined as the ability to perform a broad range of motor skills, underpins healthy growth trajectories in childhood and adolescence. It encompasses both object-control and locomotor skills and interacts bidirectionally with physical activity to shape physical fitness, weight status and psychosocial outcomes. During early childhood, developing fundamental movement skills establishes a foundation for more complex tasks, with evidence of a proficiency barrier beyond which activity levels accelerate. In mid-childhood and adolescence, motor competence continues to influence engagement in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, with self-perceived competence strongly mediating this relationship. Variations in assessment methods—ranging from product-orientated ratings to process-based scales—and emerging technologies for remote evaluation have refined our understanding of competence across diverse populations. Globally, interventions that prioritise play-based, school-based or after-school programmes demonstrate significant gains in coordination, strength and agility, thus offering practical avenues to combat sedentary behaviour and its associated health risks. Integrating assessments of motor competence with targeted support for perceived competence and tailored physical activity programming holds promise for promoting lifelong health.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A 10-week play-based after-school intervention involving twelve-year-olds has shown meaningful improvements in coordinative abilities and physical fitness. Children who participated in the play-based programme demonstrated enhanced balance, agility, sprint speed and muscular strength compared with peers in standard physical education, highlighting the efficacy of structured play in augmenting motor skill acquisition. This study underlines the value of embedding playful yet goal-oriented activities within school settings to foster motor competence and encourage regular physical activity among youth.

Motor Competence and Physical Activity in Pediatric Development publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in motor competence and physical activity in pediatric development across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Motor competence: The proficiency with which fundamental movement skills (locomotor, object-control and stability) are executed.

Physical activity: Any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure, spanning light to vigorous intensities.

Fundamental movement skills: Foundational motor patterns—such as running, jumping, throwing and catching—that form the basis for more complex activities.

Proficiency barrier: A threshold of motor skill competence that, once surpassed, is associated with marked increases in physical activity.

Perceived motor competence: An individual’s self-assessment of their own motor skill ability, which can influence motivation to engage in activity.

References

1. Associations Between Motor Competence and Physical Activity, Physical Fitness and Psychosocial Characteristics in Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Medicine (2023).
2. Motor skill competence and moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity: a linear and non-linear cross-sectional analysis of eight pooled trials. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2024).
3. Validation of remote assessment of preschool children's anthropometrics and motor skills. Frontiers in Digital Health (2023).
4. A 10-week play-based after-school program to improve coordinative abilities and physical fitness capabilities among adolescents: a randomized trial. Scientific Reports (2024).
5. The Mediating Role Played by Perceived Motor Competence in the Relationship between Motor Competence and Physical Activity in Spanish Adolescents. Sustainability (2023).