Age- and Sex-Specific Percentile Curves for the Test of Gross Motor Development From 7,263 Children Aged 3–5 Years From 13 Countries

Motor competence (MC) is a key component of child development, often assessed through skillfulness in fundamental motor skills. The process-oriented Test of Gross Motor Development second and third editions have been extensively used to measure children’s MC. However, there is a lack of international percentile curves available against which children’s scores can be compared across different cultural contexts. The aim of this study was to present percentile curves for the second and third versions of the Test of Gross Motor Development in 3- to 5-year-old children, based on a cross-cultural and income diverse population. This study is based on secondary analysis of pooled data of 7,263 children who completed the second or the third edition of the Test of Gross Motor Development in 13 countries. The generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape model, with the Box–Cox power exponential adjusted method, was used to construct percentile curves within each 3-month age category, according to sex. The percentile curves provide a foundational framework for interpreting MC internationally. The findings advocate for periodic updates to the percentile curves developed to ensure that global standards for MC remain relevant and actionable.