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Article

Associations between Biological Maturation, Chronological Age, Body Mass Index, Sex, and Motor Competence in Prepubertal Children: A Network Analysis

by
Sedigheh Salami
1,
Paulo Felipe Ribeiro Bandeira
2,
Maryam Rahymian Mashhadi
1,
Parvaneh Shamsipour Dehkordi
1,
Leonardo G. O. Luz
3,4,
Clarice Maria de Lucena Martins
5,6,
Louise L. Hardy
7 and
Michael J. Duncan
8,*
1
Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran 15847-15414, Iran
2
GEAPAM—Department of Physical Education, Regional University of Cariri, Crato 63105-010, Brazil
3
LACAPS, Campus Arapiraca, Federal University of Alagoas, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
4
CIDAF, Faculty of Sport Science and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, 3004-531 Coimbra, Portugal
5
Departamento de Educação Física, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, Brazil
6
Laboratory for Integrative and Transitional Research in Population Health, Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
7
Prevention Research Collaboration, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
8
Centre for Physical Activity, Sport and Exercise Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry CV1 5FB, UK
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Children 2024, 11(9), 1143; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11091143
Submission received: 5 July 2024 / Revised: 10 September 2024 / Accepted: 17 September 2024 / Published: 20 September 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Movement Behaviors and Health-Related Physical Fitness in Pediatric Population)
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Abstract

Background: The development of motor competence (MC) during childhood is crucial for future physical activity and health outcomes, and it is affected by both biological and psychosocial factors. Most MC research has focused on children’s age, with fewer studies examining separate associations between MC and biological maturation. Methods: This cross-sectional study used network analysis to assess the nonlinear associations between biological maturation (the child’s percentage of predicted mature stature to indicate somatic maturation), chronological age, sex, BMI, and MC (Test of Gross Motor Development, third edition) in 218 children (100 boys, 118 girls) aged 7–9 years. Results: Biological maturation was not significantly associated with MC in boys and weakly associated with MC in girls for the dribble, under-hand throw, and gallop. Age was positively associated with MC in girls and boys. Centrality measures indicated that the gallop and slide in girls and the dribble, catch, and run in boys were the most important network variables. Positive associations were observed between maturation and BMI for girls (r = 0.579) and, to a lesser degree, for boys (r = 0.267). Conclusions: The findings suggest that age, rather than biological maturation, is positively associated with MC in 7- to 9-year-olds. Centrality measures showed that some skills may influence other skills.
Keywords: complex systems; children; TGMD-3; motor competence complex systems; children; TGMD-3; motor competence

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MDPI and ACS Style

Salami, S.; Bandeira, P.F.R.; Mashhadi, M.R.; Shamsipour Dehkordi, P.; Luz, L.G.O.; Martins, C.M.d.L.; Hardy, L.L.; Duncan, M.J. Associations between Biological Maturation, Chronological Age, Body Mass Index, Sex, and Motor Competence in Prepubertal Children: A Network Analysis. Children 2024, 11, 1143. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11091143

AMA Style

Salami S, Bandeira PFR, Mashhadi MR, Shamsipour Dehkordi P, Luz LGO, Martins CMdL, Hardy LL, Duncan MJ. Associations between Biological Maturation, Chronological Age, Body Mass Index, Sex, and Motor Competence in Prepubertal Children: A Network Analysis. Children. 2024; 11(9):1143. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11091143

Chicago/Turabian Style

Salami, Sedigheh, Paulo Felipe Ribeiro Bandeira, Maryam Rahymian Mashhadi, Parvaneh Shamsipour Dehkordi, Leonardo G. O. Luz, Clarice Maria de Lucena Martins, Louise L. Hardy, and Michael J. Duncan. 2024. "Associations between Biological Maturation, Chronological Age, Body Mass Index, Sex, and Motor Competence in Prepubertal Children: A Network Analysis" Children 11, no. 9: 1143. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11091143

APA Style

Salami, S., Bandeira, P. F. R., Mashhadi, M. R., Shamsipour Dehkordi, P., Luz, L. G. O., Martins, C. M. d. L., Hardy, L. L., & Duncan, M. J. (2024). Associations between Biological Maturation, Chronological Age, Body Mass Index, Sex, and Motor Competence in Prepubertal Children: A Network Analysis. Children, 11(9), 1143. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11091143

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