The relative age effect on fundamental movement skills in Chinese children aged 3–5 years
Abstract Background The cut-off date in the education system causes a relative age difference, with developmental advantages for children who are born on the “early side” of the cut-off date and disadvantages for those born later, which is known as the relative age effect (RAE). Very few studies hav...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2023-03-01
|
| Series: | BMC Pediatrics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-023-03967-6 |
| _version_ | 1797831900032663552 |
|---|---|
| author | Kai Li Sitong Chen Jiani Ma Clarice Martins Michael Duncan Xinxin Sheng Shijie Liu Yujun Cai |
| author_facet | Kai Li Sitong Chen Jiani Ma Clarice Martins Michael Duncan Xinxin Sheng Shijie Liu Yujun Cai |
| author_sort | Kai Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The cut-off date in the education system causes a relative age difference, with developmental advantages for children who are born on the “early side” of the cut-off date and disadvantages for those born later, which is known as the relative age effect (RAE). Very few studies have examined whether there is a RAE on the development of fundamental movement skills (FMSs) in preschool children, and no studies have been conducted in China. The purpose of this study is to identify whether a RAE exists on FMS in Chinese preschool children, comparing RAEs according to gender and age. Methods From a total of 378 invited preschool children regularly registered at one Chinese kindergarten, a total of 288 healthy and typically developing preschoolers (4.33 ± 0.84 years-old; 56.6% boys) were included in this study. All children were required to take part in anthropometry and FMS assessments. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was applied to examine the difference in each of the FMS items across quarter categories, year and gender groups, controlling for body mass index (BMI). Results For the overall sample, the data show the significant main effects on the quarter of birth factor in locomotor skills (LC; F (3, 265) = 2.811, p = 0.04, ηp 2 = 0.031), object control skills (OB; F (3, 265) = 6.319, p = 0.04, ηp 2 = 0.031), and total test score (TTS; F (3, 265) = 5.988, p = 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.063). There were also significant differences in the age effect on all the domains of FMS (F LC (2, 265) = 100.654, p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.432; F OB (2, 265) = 108.430, p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.450; F TTS (2, 265) = 147.234, p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.526) but a gender effect only in LC (F (1, 265) = 20.858; p < 0.001; ηp 2 = 0.073). For gender and quarter of birth groups, RAEs in LC only exists in girls. Moreover, regarding age and quarter of birth factors, RAEs are only found at younger ages. Conclusions This study suggests the existence of RAEs in the FMS of Chinese preschool children. Teachers need to be aware of the effect of RAEs on the FMS when approaching development, evaluation, and teaching approaches in preschools. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T13:59:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a37a6feab2a34ac0adc6e3d65d61d488 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2431 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T13:59:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Pediatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-a37a6feab2a34ac0adc6e3d65d61d4882023-05-07T11:24:35ZengBMCBMC Pediatrics1471-24312023-03-012311810.1186/s12887-023-03967-6The relative age effect on fundamental movement skills in Chinese children aged 3–5 yearsKai Li0Sitong Chen1Jiani Ma2Clarice Martins3Michael Duncan4Xinxin Sheng5Shijie Liu6Yujun Cai7School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of SportInstitute for Health and Sport, Victoria UniversityResearch Centre for Sport, Exercise and Life Sciences, Coventry UniversityResearch Centre of Physical Activity, Health and Leisure, Faculty of Sports, Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), University of PortoResearch Centre for Sport, Exercise and Life Sciences, Coventry UniversityInstitutes of Physical Education, Changzhou UniversitySchool of Physical Education, Shanghai University of SportSchool of Physical Education, Shanghai University of SportAbstract Background The cut-off date in the education system causes a relative age difference, with developmental advantages for children who are born on the “early side” of the cut-off date and disadvantages for those born later, which is known as the relative age effect (RAE). Very few studies have examined whether there is a RAE on the development of fundamental movement skills (FMSs) in preschool children, and no studies have been conducted in China. The purpose of this study is to identify whether a RAE exists on FMS in Chinese preschool children, comparing RAEs according to gender and age. Methods From a total of 378 invited preschool children regularly registered at one Chinese kindergarten, a total of 288 healthy and typically developing preschoolers (4.33 ± 0.84 years-old; 56.6% boys) were included in this study. All children were required to take part in anthropometry and FMS assessments. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was applied to examine the difference in each of the FMS items across quarter categories, year and gender groups, controlling for body mass index (BMI). Results For the overall sample, the data show the significant main effects on the quarter of birth factor in locomotor skills (LC; F (3, 265) = 2.811, p = 0.04, ηp 2 = 0.031), object control skills (OB; F (3, 265) = 6.319, p = 0.04, ηp 2 = 0.031), and total test score (TTS; F (3, 265) = 5.988, p = 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.063). There were also significant differences in the age effect on all the domains of FMS (F LC (2, 265) = 100.654, p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.432; F OB (2, 265) = 108.430, p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.450; F TTS (2, 265) = 147.234, p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.526) but a gender effect only in LC (F (1, 265) = 20.858; p < 0.001; ηp 2 = 0.073). For gender and quarter of birth groups, RAEs in LC only exists in girls. Moreover, regarding age and quarter of birth factors, RAEs are only found at younger ages. Conclusions This study suggests the existence of RAEs in the FMS of Chinese preschool children. Teachers need to be aware of the effect of RAEs on the FMS when approaching development, evaluation, and teaching approaches in preschools.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-023-03967-6Motor developmentPreschool childrenFMSRAE |
| spellingShingle | Kai Li Sitong Chen Jiani Ma Clarice Martins Michael Duncan Xinxin Sheng Shijie Liu Yujun Cai The relative age effect on fundamental movement skills in Chinese children aged 3–5 years BMC Pediatrics Motor development Preschool children FMS RAE |
| title | The relative age effect on fundamental movement skills in Chinese children aged 3–5 years |
| title_full | The relative age effect on fundamental movement skills in Chinese children aged 3–5 years |
| title_fullStr | The relative age effect on fundamental movement skills in Chinese children aged 3–5 years |
| title_full_unstemmed | The relative age effect on fundamental movement skills in Chinese children aged 3–5 years |
| title_short | The relative age effect on fundamental movement skills in Chinese children aged 3–5 years |
| title_sort | relative age effect on fundamental movement skills in chinese children aged 3 5 years |
| topic | Motor development Preschool children FMS RAE |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-023-03967-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kaili therelativeageeffectonfundamentalmovementskillsinchinesechildrenaged35years AT sitongchen therelativeageeffectonfundamentalmovementskillsinchinesechildrenaged35years AT jianima therelativeageeffectonfundamentalmovementskillsinchinesechildrenaged35years AT claricemartins therelativeageeffectonfundamentalmovementskillsinchinesechildrenaged35years AT michaelduncan therelativeageeffectonfundamentalmovementskillsinchinesechildrenaged35years AT xinxinsheng therelativeageeffectonfundamentalmovementskillsinchinesechildrenaged35years AT shijieliu therelativeageeffectonfundamentalmovementskillsinchinesechildrenaged35years AT yujuncai therelativeageeffectonfundamentalmovementskillsinchinesechildrenaged35years AT kaili relativeageeffectonfundamentalmovementskillsinchinesechildrenaged35years AT sitongchen relativeageeffectonfundamentalmovementskillsinchinesechildrenaged35years AT jianima relativeageeffectonfundamentalmovementskillsinchinesechildrenaged35years AT claricemartins relativeageeffectonfundamentalmovementskillsinchinesechildrenaged35years AT michaelduncan relativeageeffectonfundamentalmovementskillsinchinesechildrenaged35years AT xinxinsheng relativeageeffectonfundamentalmovementskillsinchinesechildrenaged35years AT shijieliu relativeageeffectonfundamentalmovementskillsinchinesechildrenaged35years AT yujuncai relativeageeffectonfundamentalmovementskillsinchinesechildrenaged35years |