Sustainable effects of a motor skill programme on physical activity levels in 7–8 years old children, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Abstract Background Deteriorating global physical activity (PA) levels among children warrants new and sustainable approaches to increase PA levels. This study aimed to determine the immediate and sustainable influences of a 9-week movement program on the PA levels in 7 to 8-year-old school children in the Raymond Mhlaba Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Methods A randomized control trial including two groups (control group (CG) and intervention group (IG)), pre–post–retest (after six months of no intervention) design was used. Seventy school children, mean age 7.12 years (± 0.71) ( n = 35 IG; n = 35 CG) participated in the study. A 9-week movement program was followed twice a week for 30 min during school hours. PA was measured for 7 consecutive days using a hip-mounted wGT3X-BT Actigraph accelerometer. The Test of Gross Motor Development-Third Edition (TGMD-3) was used to assess motor skills. Hierarchical Linear Modelling (HLM) was applied to analyze the data with time, sex, and group as predictors. Effect sizes were computed using Cohen’s d-cut points to assess the practical significance of changes over time. Estimated regression coefficients were also computed to determine the strength of the relationship between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and fundamental movement skills (FMS). Results Before the intervention, 60% of the IG met the 60 min of daily MVPA guideline, while light physical activity (LPA) per day was also higher than sedentary behavior (SB) in both groups. No immediate ( p < 0.01) or sustainable ( p < 0.01) increases in MVPA levels were found and no positive associations emerged between FMS and MVPA levels. Conclusions This intervention had little to no effect on children’s MVPA. More understanding of the activity behavior and interests of children is needed to improve their PA behavior through the content of movement programs. Strategies are also needed to communicate clear messages at a personalized but also parental level, focusing on enhancing health through regular PA, especially to promote PA in young children.