# Physical Activity and Sex as Predictors of Motor Development in Serbian Preschoolers

## TL;DR

This study shows that Serbian preschoolers who are physically active and girls have better motor coordination than their inactive peers and boys.

## Contribution

The study provides empirical evidence on how physical activity and sex influence motor coordination in Serbian preschoolers.

## Key findings

- Girls outperformed boys in walking backwards and total motor quotient.
- Physically active children scored higher in motor coordination tests than inactive children.
- Physical activity significantly improves Total Motor Quotient in preschoolers.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: Motor coordination is the essential ability that influences children’s overall physical development and their ability to engage in various activities. The development of motor skills and coordination continues for several years, as it is a gradual process that extends beyond the early stages of walking. The study aimed to describe the differences in genders and physical activity levels using the Body Coordination Test for Children (KTK) test battery to assess motor coordination in kindergarten children. Methods: The sample consisted of 814 participants, including both sexes (aged 5.57 ± 0.49 years). Participants were divided into two groups according to their involvement in physical activity (OPA) or physical inactivity (NO OPA). OPA had to have a minimum of 2 days per week of additional organized training/lessons with at least 60 min. Results: The results show significant gender differences in walking backwards; girls outperformed boys with a statistically significant mean difference of −3.11 (p = 0.01; 95% CI: −4.57 to −1.64). Similarly, for total motor quotient (MQ), girls scored higher than boys, with a significant mean difference of −4.92 (p = 0.01; 95% CI: −7.85 to −1.99). The results revealed that the OPA group consistently outperformed the NO OPA group across all subtests, with significant differences in Total MQ (p = 0.01). Conclusions: Our study results indicated that physically active children demonstrated better motor coordination in comparison to their inactive peers. This suggests that regular physical activity positively influences motor coordination development in children.