Gross Motor Competence and Peak Height Velocity in 10- to 14-Year-Old Canadian Youth: A Longitudinal Study

• Published in: Measurement in physical education and exercise science Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 89 - 98
• Main Authors: Sheehan, Dwayne P., Lienhard, Karin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia Routledge 02.01.2019; Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Body Height; bruininks-oseretsky test; Child Development; Children & youth; Elementary School Students; Females; Foreign Countries; Gender Differences; Growth rate; Longitudinal studies; Males; Middle School Students; Motor ability; Motor Development; motor skill proficiency; Peak height velocity; Performance Tests; Physical Development; Physical Education; Preadolescents; Psychomotor Skills; Scores; Canada
• ISSN: 1091-367X; 1532-7841
• DOI: 10.1080/1091367X.2018.1525385

The objective of this study was to evaluate gross motor competence and growth spurt in Canadian youth. Eighty-two children (38 boys, 44 girls) were assessed over a time period of five years. Growth rate was measured quarterly; motor competence was evaluated once per year using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency. Peak height velocity (PHV) occurred at a significantly younger age in the girls (11.3 ± 0.4 years) than the boys (13.4 ± 0.3 years; p < .001), and growth rate during PHV was significantly greater in the boys than the girls (2.8 ± 1.3 vs. 2.0 ± 0.7 cm/quarter; p = .003). Gross motor competence outcomes were significantly above the North American normative scores (p < .05) over the measured time period. After the occurrence of PHV, strength, strength/agility, and gross motor skill significantly decreased in girls (p < .01), and running speed/agility significantly decreased in boys (p < .05). This finding emphasizes that motor competence in pre-adolescent children may suddenly decrease after their growth spurt.