Could motor intervention programs have a positive association with the motor competence of children with typical development aged 6 to 10 years? – A Systematic Review

Abstract

Motor competence (MC) plays a significant role in predicting physical activity in the youth and is an integral component of youth health and performance. According to Barnett et al. (2009) and Logan et al. (2015), the MC interact with physical activity (PA) during early childhood. This study aimed to synthesise evidence on the associations between MC and PA, training/sports practice, and physical education in children. The review was registered in PROSPERO and carried out in accordance with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations) framework. Eleven thousand two hundred ninety-four articles were found in the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. After the screening phase, the selection was reduced to 18 studies, all of which were randomised clinical trials that used validity and reliability methods, according to the eligibility criteria. The studies included a total sample of 2858 children aged 6–10 years. As the analysis of the articles revealed, that all the intervention programs were beneficial for the development of MC, regardless of program (duration of program, weekly frequency and session duration) and instrument, as a proposal for the future, and based on the results of our research, it is proposing an intervention programme lasting 8 to 12 weeks, with sessions lasting 45 to 60 minutes and 2-3 times a week. The TGMD-2, TGMD-3 or KTK could be used as the proposed instrument for assessing motor competence.