Do Girls Have an Advantage Compared to Boys When Their Motor Skills Are Tested Using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd Edition?
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- Are there sex-related differences in raw MABC-2 item scores?
- How do children on different continents perform, and are there sex-related differences in raw MABC-2 item scores on different continents?
- Are the sex-related differences in raw MABC-2 item scores age-dependent?
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Participants
2.2. Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition
2.3. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Age Band 1
3.2. Age Band 2
3.3. Age Band 3
4. Discussion
Limitations of the Study
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
Age Band (n) | Domain | Items | Outcome | European Sample | African Sample | Kruskal-Wallis Test | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P25 | P50 | P75 | P25 | P50 | P75 | p-Value | ||||
1—only age 6 (636) | Manual dexterity | 1a: Posting coins (preferred) | Time | 19 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 16 | <0.005 |
1b: Posting coins (non-preferred) | Time | 21 | 19 | 18 | 23 | 21 | 18 | <0.001 | ||
2: Threading beads | Time | 47 | 39 | 34 | 50 | 42 | 35 | 0.009 | ||
3: Drawing trail | Errors | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | <0.001 | ||
Aiming and catching | 4: Catching bean bag | Count | 8 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 0.021 | |
5: Throwing bean bag | Count | 5 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 7 | <0.001 | ||
Balance | 6a: One-leg balance (preferred) | Time | 24 | 30 | 30 | 17 | 30 | 30 | 0.015 | |
6b: One-leg balance (non-preferred) | Time | 11 | 21 | 30 | 9 | 16 | 30 | 0.071 | ||
7: Walking heels raised | Count | 13 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 15 | 15 | <0.001 | ||
8: Jumping on mats | Count | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0.021 | ||
2 (1930) | Manual dexterity | 1a: Placing pegs (preferred) | Time | 29 | 26 | 23 | 30 | 27 | 24 | <0.001 |
1b: Placing pegs (non-preferred) | Time | 34 | 30 | 26 | 37 | 33 | 29 | <0.001 | ||
2: Threading lace | Time | 29 | 24 | 21 | 31 | 26 | 22 | <0.001 | ||
3: Drawing trail | Errors | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | <0.001 | ||
Aiming and catching | 4: Catching ball | Count | 5 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 9 | <0.001 | |
5: Throwing bean bag onto mat | Count | 5 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 7 | <0.001 | ||
Balance | 6a: One-board balance (preferred) | Time | 14 | 26 | 30 | 15 | 29 | 30 | 0.007 | |
6b: One-board balance (non-preferred) | Time | 6 | 13 | 29 | 7 | 15 | 30 | 0.045 | ||
7: Walking heel-to-toe forward | Count | 15 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 15 | 15 | <0.001 | ||
8a: Hopping on mats (preferred) | Count | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | <0.001 | ||
8b: Hopping on mats (non-preferred) | Count | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | <0.001 | ||
3 (1646) | Manual dexterity | 1a: Turning pegs (preferred) | Time | 20 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 0.072 |
1b: Turning pegs (non-preferred) | Time | 24 | 21 | 19 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 0.204 | ||
2: Triangle with nuts and bolts | Time | 40 | 33 | 28 | 45 | 37 | 31 | <0.001 | ||
3: Drawing trail | Errors | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.201 | ||
Aiming and catching | 4a: Catching (preferred) | Count | 8 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 10 | <0.001 | |
4b: Catching (non-preferred) | Count | 5 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 9 | <0.001 | ||
5: Throwing ball at wall-mounted target | Count | 4 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 0.023 | ||
Balance | 6: Two-board balance | Time | 17 | 30 | 30 | 8 | 19 | 30 | <0.001 | |
7: Walking toe-to-heel backwards | Count | 12 | 15 | 15 | 8 | 14 | 15 | <0.001 | ||
8a: Zig-zag hopping (preferred) | Count | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | <0.001 | ||
8b: Zig-zag hopping (non-preferred) | Count | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0.554 |
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Authors | Origin of the Sample (Country) | Age Range of the Sample (Years) | Subscales | Total Score | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Manual Dexterity | Aiming and Catching | Balance | |||||
Amador-Ruiz et al., 2018 [41] | Spain | 4–5 | Item level, raw scores | girls = boys | girls = boys | girls = boys | NR |
6 | girls = boys | girls < boys | girls > boys | ||||
Fairbairn et al., 2020 [39] | Australia | 8–9 | Domain and total standard scores | girls > boys | girls = boys | girls = boys | girls > boys |
Hirata et al., 2018 [11] | Japan | 3–6 | Domain and total standard scores | girls = boys | girls = boys | girls > boys | girls > boys |
Kita et al., 2016 [12] | Japan | 7–10 | Domain and total standard scores | girls > boys | girls = boys | girls > boys | girls > boys |
Koksteijn et al., 2018 [7] | Czechia | 3–6 | Domain and total percentile scores | girls > boys | girls = boys | girls > boys | girls > boys |
3 | girls > boys | girls = boys | girls > boys | girls > boys | |||
4 | girls > boys | girls = boys | girls > boys | girls > boys | |||
5 | girls = boys | girls = boys | girls = boys | girls = boys | |||
6 | girls = boys | girls < boys | girls = boys | girls = boys | |||
Meciás-Calvo et al., 2021 [40] | Spain | 4–5 * | Domain and total standard scores | girls > boys | girls < boys $ | girls > boys | girls > boys |
Navarro-Patón et al., 2021 [19] | Spain | 5 * | Domain and total standard and percentile scores | girls > boys | girls = boys | girls > boys | girls > boys |
Olesen 2014 [42] | Denmark | 5–6 | Domain standard scores | girls = boys | girls < boys | girls > boys | NR |
European | African | Total | Subsample Differences | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sample size (boys) (n) | 5757 (2888) | 1897 (937) | 7654 (3825) | p = 0.560 * | |
Age band (boys) (n) | 1 | 2090 (1087) | 114 (62) | 2204 (1149) | p < 0.001 * |
2 | 2345 (1183) | 1037 (518) | 3382 (1701) | ||
3 | 1322 (618) | 746 (357) | 2068 (975) | ||
Age (years; mean (SD)) | 8.1 (3.5) | 10.0 (2.8) | 8.6 (3.4) | p < 0.001 § | |
Age 3 (n) | 615 | 0 | 615 | ||
Age 4 (n) | 476 | 0 | 476 | ||
Age 5 (n) | 476 | 0 | 476 | ||
Age 6 (n) | 522 | 114 | 636 | ||
Age 7 (n) | 672 | 272 | 944 | ||
Age 8 (n) | 724 | 329 | 1053 | ||
Age 9 (n) | 533 | 305 | 838 | ||
Age 10 (n) | 417 | 131 | 548 | ||
Age 11 (n) | 286 | 155 | 441 | ||
Age 12 (n) | 300 | 167 | 467 | ||
Age 13 (n) | 220 | 157 | 377 | ||
Age 14 (n) | 164 | 122 | 286 | ||
Age 15 (n) | 161 | 73 | 234 | ||
Age 16 (n) | 191 | 72 | 263 |
Age Band (n) | Domain | Items | Outcome | Boys | Girls | Mann-Whitney U Test | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P25 | P50 | P75 | P25 | P50 | P75 | p-Value | ||||
1 (2204) | Manual dexterity | 1a: Posting coins (preferred) | Time | 18 | 15 | 11 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 0.374 |
1b: Posting coins (non-preferred) | Time | 21 | 18 | 14 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 0.627 | ||
2: Threading beads | Time | 54 | 43 | 35 | 48 | 39 | 32 | <0.001 | ||
3: Drawing trail | Errors | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | <0.001 | ||
Aiming and catching | 4: Catching bean bag | Count | 5 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 0.025 | |
5: Throwing bean bag | Count | 3 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 7 | <0.001 | ||
Balance | 6a: One-leg balance (preferred) | Time | 6 | 16 | 30 | 7 | 21 | 30 | <0.001 | |
6b: One-leg balance (non-preferred) | Time | 3 | 6 | 17 | 3 | 10 | 23 | <0.001 | ||
7: Walking heels raised | Count | 6 | 13 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 15 | <0.001 | ||
8: Jumping on mats | Count | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | <0.001 | ||
2 (3382) | Manual dexterity | 1a: Placing pegs (preferred) | Time | 30 | 27 | 24 | 28 | 25 | 23 | <0.001 |
1b: Placing pegs (non-preferred) | Time | 35 | 31 | 28 | 34 | 30 | 26 | <0.001 | ||
2: Threading lace | Time | 31 | 26 | 22 | 28 | 24 | 20 | <0.001 | ||
3: Drawing trail | Errors | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | <0.001 | ||
Aiming and catching | 4: Catching ball | Count | 6 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 8 | <0.001 | |
5: Throwing bean bag onto mat | Count | 5 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 8 | <0.001 | ||
Balance | 6a: One-board balance (preferred) | Time | 12 | 22 | 30 | 16 | 30 | 30 | <0.001 | |
6b: One-board balance (non-preferred) | Time | 6 | 12 | 25 | 8 | 17 | 30 | <0.001 | ||
7: Walking heel-to-toe forward | Count | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | <0.001 | ||
8a: Hopping on mats (preferred) | Count | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | <0.001 | ||
8b: Hopping on mats (non-preferred) | Count | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | <0.001 | ||
3 (2068) | Manual dexterity | 1a: Turning pegs (preferred) | Time | 21 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 16 | <0.001 |
1b: Turning pegs (non-preferred) | Time | 24 | 21 | 19 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 0.222 | ||
2: Triangle with nuts and bolts | Time | 42 | 34 | 29 | 42 | 34 | 28 | 0.956 | ||
3: Drawing trail | Errors | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | <0.001 | ||
Aiming and catching | 4a: Catching (preferred) | Count | 8 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 9 | <0.001 | |
4b: Catching (non-preferred) | Count | 7 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 8 | <0.001 | ||
5: Throwing ball at wall-mounted target | Count | 5 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 7 | <0.001 | ||
Balance | 6: Two-board balance | Time | 13 | 28 | 30 | 13 | 28 | 30 | 0.753 | |
7: Walking toe-to-heel backwards | Count | 11 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 15 | 15 | 0.013 | ||
8a: Zig-zag hopping (preferred) | Count | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0.461 | ||
8b: Zig-zag hopping (non-preferred) | Count | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0.190 |
European Sample | African Sample | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Domain | Items | AB 1 (Age 6) | AB 2 (Age 7–10) | AB 3 (Age 11–16) | AB 1 (Age 6) | AB 2 (Age 1–10) | AB 3 (Age 11–16) |
Manual dexterity | Item 1a | ||||||
Item 1b | |||||||
Item 2 | |||||||
Item 3 | |||||||
Aiming and catching | Item 4a | ||||||
Item 4b | |||||||
Item 5 | |||||||
Balance | Item 6a | ||||||
Item 6b | |||||||
Item 7 | |||||||
Item 8a | |||||||
Item 8b |
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Smits-Engelsman, B.; Coetzee, D.; Valtr, L.; Verbecque, E. Do Girls Have an Advantage Compared to Boys When Their Motor Skills Are Tested Using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd Edition? Children 2023, 10, 1159. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10071159
Smits-Engelsman B, Coetzee D, Valtr L, Verbecque E. Do Girls Have an Advantage Compared to Boys When Their Motor Skills Are Tested Using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd Edition? Children. 2023; 10(7):1159. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10071159
Chicago/Turabian StyleSmits-Engelsman, Bouwien, Dané Coetzee, Ludvík Valtr, and Evi Verbecque. 2023. "Do Girls Have an Advantage Compared to Boys When Their Motor Skills Are Tested Using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd Edition?" Children 10, no. 7: 1159. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10071159