Abstract
Background: Given the relationship between physical fitness and motor performance a test battery was developed that measures both components combined.
Aim: Following the development of the Performance and Fitness (PERF-FIT) battery, this study investigated the construct validity with the ultimate aim of identifying attributes that discriminate between different levels of motor abilities and anaerobic or musculoskeletal fitness.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 34 children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and 34 matched typically developing children participated (7-10 years). The PERF-FIT was used to examine known group validity. The PERF-FIT items were also compared to test items of well-known standardized tests to examine concurrent validity.
Results: Concurrent validity was found to be of the expected low to moderate magnitude. Children with DCD were consistently found to have lower levels of motor skill-related fitness compared to typically developing children.
Conclusion and implications: The PERF-FIT seems to be a valid test to measure movement skills, musculoskeletal fitness and agility in children between the ages of 7 and 10 years in low resourced communities. The test seems to discriminate between gross motor skills, and agility and power in children with and without DCD.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 103663 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Research in Developmental Disabilities |
| Volume | 102 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jul-2020 |
Keywords
- Motor skills
- Anaerobic fitness
- Psychometric properties
- Developmental coordination disorder
- Low-resource communities
- DEVELOPMENTAL COORDINATION DISORDER
- MOVEMENT ASSESSMENT BATTERY
- PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY
- PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN
- RELIABILITY
- COMPETENCE
- PREVALENCE
- EXERCISE