Background/Purpose: The relationships among children's motor skills, perceived competence, physical activity participation and fitness in exergaming settings remain unanswered. This study was designed to test a model of the mediating role of perceived competence on motor skills to physical activity and fitness relationships.
Methods: Participants were 236 third through fifth graders enrolled in a suburban elementary school. They participated in a 50-minute exergaming class (e.g., Wii Just Dance, DDR) per week. Participants responded to a battery of standardized questionnaires measuring their perceived competence and motor skills toward playing exergaming. Children's physical activity levels were assessed by NL-1000 pedometers in three consecutive exergaming classes. Then they had their fitness assessed via FITNESSGRAM one week later.
Analysis/Results: The results from the Structure Equation Modeling demonstrated an acceptable model fit to the data, χ 2 /d.f. = 1.22, CFI =.99, RMSEA = .04. The overall variance in perceived competence and physical activity explained by the model was 8% and 11%, respectively. Perceived competence had a significant direct effect on physical activity after controlling for the effect of motor skills (β = .29). Physical activity also had a direct effect on fitness (β = .17). Motor skills failed to exert direct effect on physical activity. However, the indirect effect of motor skills on physical activity via perceived competence was small yet significant.
Conclusions : Overall, the results supported the mediating role of perceived competence on the relationship between motor skills and physical activity levels in exergaming. Study implications are provided for educators and practitioners.
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