A narrative review of motor competence in children and adolescents: What we know and what we need to find out
Date
2020
Authors
Lopes, Luís
Santos, Rute
Coelho-e-Silva, Manuel
Draper, Catherine
Mota, Jorge
Jidovtseff, Boris
Clark, Cain
Schmidt, Mirko
Morgan, Philip
Duncan, Michael
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Abstract
Lack of physical activity is a global public health problem causing not only morbidity and
premature mortality, but it is also a major economic burden worldwide. One of the cornerstones of
a physically active lifestyle is Motor Competence (MC). MC is a complex biocultural attribute and
therefore, its study requires a multi-sectoral, multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary approach. MC is a
growing area of research, especially in children and adolescents due to its positive association with a
plethora of health and developmental outcomes. Many questions, however, remain to be answered
in this field of research, with regard to: (i) Health and Developmental-related Associations of MC;
(ii) Assessment of MC; (iii) Prevalence and Trends of MC; (iv) Correlates and Determinants of MC;
(v) MC Interventions, and (vi) Translating MC Research into Practice and Policy. This paper presents
a narrative review of the literature, summarizing current knowledge, identifying key research gaps
and presenting questions for future investigation on MC in children and adolescents. This is a
collaborative effort from the International Motor Competence Network (IMCNetwork) a network of
academics and researchers aiming to promote international collaborative research and knowledge
translation in the expansive field of MC. The knowledge and deliverables generated by addressing
and answering the aforementioned research questions on MC presented in this review have the
potential to shape the ways in which researchers and practitioners promote MC and physical activity
in children and adolescents across the world.
Description
Keywords
motor development, motor coordination, fundamental movement skills, motor proficiency, physical activity
Citation
Lopes, L., Santos, R., Coelho-e-Silva, M., Draper, C., Mota, J., Jidovtseff, B., . . . Agostinis-Sobrinho, C. (2020). “A narrative review of motor competence in children and adolescents: What we know and what we need to find out.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(1), 18. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010018