The Role of Gender, Age, and Body Mass Index on the Perceived Motor Competence of 7-9-year-old Children

The aim of this study was to examine the role of gender, age, and body mass index on the perceived motor competence of 7-9-year-old children.

The research method was descriptive and causal-comparative. A total of 270 male and female students aged 7 to 9 years, with underweight, normal, and overweight body mass indexes, were selected using purposive sampling. The pictorial scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence was used to measure perceived motor competence.

The results showed that the groups of 8 and 9-year-old children had higher perceived motor competence scores than the 7-year-old children in ball skills and total skills. However, this difference was not significant between the groups of 8 and 9-year-olds. Moreover, both the overweight and normal weight groups exhibited higher perceived motor competence than the underweight group across all three skills (locomotor, ball, and total skills). Further, the overweight male group demonstrated even higher perceived competence than the normal weight group in ball skills and total skills.

Gender, age, and body mass index are influential factors in the perceived motor development of children aged 7 to 9 years. It is recommended to consider these factors when designing and implementing motor development interventions for children.