Author(s): LEUNG, E., YE, Z., TSANG, A., CHOY, A., ZHU, Y., SUM, R., Institution: THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, Country: HONG KONG, Abstract-ID: 945

Introduction: Children’s Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) should reach a certain level in early life to lay the foundation for future physical activity development. Some perspectives point out that FMS with cognitive challenges may have better outcomes than single FMS engagement does. However, current research on this combined intervention generally suffers from poor methodological quality, with little attention has been paid to preschoolers (Jylänki et al., 2022). This study aims to evaluate the effect of an intervention combining FMS and cognitive challenges on the development of gross motor skills in young children in Hong Kong.
Method: 165 preschoolers (mean age = 44.95 months; 44.2% girls) were assigned at the class level to four arms: (1) Combined Group (FMS + cognitive, n=45); (2) Physical Group (FMS only, n=35); (3) Cognitive Group (sedentary activities + cognitive, n=40); and (4) Control Group (sedentary only, n=45). The intervention lasted 3 weeks with three 30‑minute sessions per week. Locomotor (LM) and object‑control (OC) skills were assessed pre‑ and post‑intervention using the Test of Gross Motor Development–Third Edition (TGMD‑3). Results were analyzed using linear mixed models (LMMs) with Time, Group, and Time × Group as fixed effects. The model adjusted for sex and age. Paired‑samples t‑tests quantified within‑group pre–post changes and effect sizes.
Results: In LMMs, the main Time effect and Time × Group interactions were non‑significant across outcomes (all p≥.297). A significant Group effect was found for LM (F (3, 291)=2.82, p=.039): the Combined Group scored higher than the Cognitive Croup (Δ=2.03; p=.049), with a trend versus Control (Δ=1.90; p=.071). Paired t‑tests indicated significant improvement in OC for the Combined Group, rising from 8.18 ± 3.169 to 10.05 ± 3.146 (t(39)=3.069, p=.004), a mean gain of +1.87 points (22.9%) with a medium effect (Cohen’s d=0.485). No significant within‑group changes were observed for LM, Sum of scaled scores, or Gross Motor Index.
Conclusion: This study did not find superior overall gains on GMS indices relative to comparison conditions. However, it produced a medium‑sized improvement in OC skills and slightly higher LM scores in Combined Group. These findings suggest that combining strategy may preferentially facilitate OC development in preschoolers, whereas LM gains may require greater dose, duration, or task specificity. Given the absence of significant Time × Group effects, future trials should employ longer and more intensive interventions to clarify the benefits in Hong Kong preschool settings.
Jylänki, P., Mbay, T., Hakkarainen, A., Sääkslahti, A., & Aunio, P. (2022). The effects of motor skill and physical activity interventions on preschoolers’ cognitive and academic skills: A systematic review. Preventive medicine, 155, 106948.