Abstract :
[en] For 30 years in Belgium, in the Province of Luxembourg, a campaign to assess physical fitness was organised by provincial institutions, in collaboration with elementary schools’ principals, teachers and physical education teachers. The goal of this campaign was to assess different parameters of the physical fitness and increase regular participation in physical activities.
However, multiple factors influence children participation in physical activities (1) (2), and assessing physical fitness alone is a limit. The purpose of this study was to modify the organisation of the campaign 2023 (3) and to develop new tests, based on physical and motor skills assessment.
A descriptive cross-sectional study was used to measure physical fitness and motor skills of 1.711 children aged 10 to 12 years, coming from the Province of Luxembourg. Physical tests assessed abdominal endurance, lower limb explosive power, speed, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory endurance. Motor skills were measured in a continuous dynamic obstacle course, where children should perform fundamental motor skills, combined and complex movements, coming from the Dragon Challenge (4)
All tests were measured manually. Now, results are recorded in a computer file.
In addition to testing, children were invited to discover different sports. Short conferences of 20 minutes were also organized about health-related topics like (importance of sleep, nutrition, hydration, screen time, …) This campaign brought together different stakeholders involved in children's development around an event that promotes physical activity, health-related topics, and physical and motor skills assessment.
Results analysis should show whether there is a link between physical tests and motor skills assessed in the 4 selected elements coming from the Dragon Challenge.
In perspective, the next campaigns should provide the assessment of other physical literacy domains and not be restricted on physical and motor assessment.
References:
(1) Welk, G. (1999). The youth physical activity promotion model: A conceptual bridge between theory and practice. Quest Journal, 51(1), 5-23.
(2) Hu, D., Zhou, S., Crowley-McHattan, Z. J., & Zhi-Yun, L. (2021). Factors That Influence Participation in Physical Activity in School-Aged Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review From the Social Ecological Model perspective. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(6), 3147. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18063147
(3) https://actidefis.be/
(4) Tyler, R., Foweather, L., Mackintosh, K. A., & Stratton, G. (2018). A dynamic assessment of Children’s Physical Competence: The Dragon Challenge. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 50(12), 2474 2487. https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0000000000001739
