The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis to 1) investigate the general relationship of motor skill competence (MSC) and physical activity (PA); 2) examine the relationship by motor skill type; and 3) examine the relationship by differences in intensity of physical activity.
Method:
An extensive literature search was conducted in Academic Search Premier, PsycArticles, PsycInfo, SportDiscus and ERIC. Studies were selected upon the following criteria: 1) examined relationships between motor skill performance and physical activity; 2) participants were 5-10 years of age; 3) participants were typically developing; 4) physical activity was measured using accelerometry methods. Fischer’s r-z transformations were performed for all motor- physical activity correlations and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for each effect size. Publication bias was evaluated using the fail-safe number method. All statistical analyses were conducted using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software, version 2.2
Analysis/Results:
Four studies met the inclusion criteria from which 40 correlations were obtained (N=40). MSC was significantly correlated with PA [Z= 3.952; p< 0.001; 95% CI 1.077, 0.225]. There was no significant overall effect for physical activity intensity [Z= 1.246; p = 0.213; 95% CI -0.069, 0.302] or effect at low intensity [Z= -0.812; n= 10; p= 0.417; 95% CI -0.235, 0.099] yet there was significant effect for high intensity [Z= 4.436; n= 25; p< 0.001; 95% CI 0.112, 0.283]. There were no significance effects between skill type and PA. Significance effects were found for total skill competence [Z= 2.988; n= 12; p< 0.05; 95% CI 0.074, 0.343]. The fail-safe number (557) indicates no publication bias.
Conclusions:
Current literature is inconsistent in its consensus of relationships between motor competence and physical activity for school-aged children. This meta-analysis suggests that these variables are significantly related and that the relationship not as dependent on a specific skill type but on the intensity of physical activity. Additional research is needed to better understand this relationship and inform movement programming for this population.