The Role of Sports Club Participation on Stability of Motor Performance and Body Composition: A Longitudinal Study in Primary School Children

TL;DR

A study on 295 primary school children found that sports club participation affects motor performance and body composition stability differently in boys and girls.

Contribution

This study longitudinally examines how sports club participation influences motor performance and BMI stability in children, revealing gender-specific patterns.

Findings

Children in consistent sports club participation showed lower BMI stability compared to non- or partial participants.

Boys in consistent sports clubs outperformed non-participants in flexibility, endurance, and speed.

Girls' motor performance benefited less from sports club participation, possibly due to higher rates of partial participation.

Abstract

MP and BC of 295 children (161 girls) with a mean age of 8.42 ± 0.36 years were measured annually with the German Motor Test 6-18. Based on self-reports, children were divided into three groups according to consistent (CON), partial (PAR), and nonparticipation (NO) in SC. NO and PAR were then combined into NO-PAR. The stability of MP and BC was determined using Pearson's correlation coefficient (r). Associations of SC participation, MP, and BC were examined using robust mixed-model ANOVA (mmANOVA) additionally with first grade as covariate (ANCOVA).

More girls (39%) than boys (25%) were classified in PAR. The stability of MP (r = .755) and BMI (r = .889) was moderately high. Children in CON (r = .847) showed lower stability in BMI than NO-PAR (r = .923). mmANOVA revealed better overall MP for both sexes in CON except for balance and BMI. Boys in CON showed better performance in flexibility, endurance, and speed than NO-PAR. ANCOVA confirmed unadjusted results for boys.

Lower stability of BMI due to CON indicates a greater variance in ranking and thus the chance to adjust weight management in childhood. Girls' MP benefited less from SC participation, which may be due to their more frequent rates in PAR. Therefore, interventions to increase engagement in SC should focus on a stepwise approach from none to partial and finally to long-term participation.

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