Basic coordination and physical fitness in relation to motor competence in 9- to 10-year-old Chinese children

This study aimed to characterize basic coordination (BC) and physical fitness (PF) profiles in 9- to 10-year-old children with different levels of motor competence (MC) and to examine whether specific BC and PF components were associated with MC after adjustment for sex, BMI, and physical activity. A total of 300 schoolchildren aged 9–10 years from Shanghai participated in assessments of MC, BC, and PF. MC was measured using the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK), with participants classified into high motor competence (HMC) and low motor competence (LMC) groups based on the composite scores from the KTK assessment. BC was assessed through tests for spatial orientation, balance, rhythmic ability, and kinesthetic differentiation. Independent-samples t tests were used to examine group differences for normally distributed data, whereas Mann–Whitney U tests were used for non-normally distributed data ( P < .05). Furthermore, hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to explore the associations between MC, BC, and PF ( P < .05). Children in the HMC group demonstrated significantly higher performance in spatial orientation, rhythmic ability, and both dynamic and static balance than their LMC peers (all P < .01). In terms of PF, the HMC group outperformed the LMC group in speed, explosive power, muscular endurance, and flexibility (all P < .01). Effect sizes for the significant group differences ranged from small to large. Moreover, rhythmic ability, balance, and spatial orientation (BC components), along with speed, explosive power, and flexibility (PF components), were significantly associated with children’s MC ( P < .01, R² = 0.468–0.515). Children with higher MC showed better BC and PF performance. Selected BC components and PF attributes were associated with MC in 9- to 10-year-old children, even after adjustment for sex, BMI, and physical activity. These findings may help inform future longitudinal and intervention studies examining how coordination- and fitness-related characteristics are related to MC development.