Thesis Cork Institute of Technology, 2018.

Bibliography: (pages 231-290)

"Fundamental movement skills (FMS) are basic observable patterns of movement. Although FMS are positively associated with health, FMS levels among children worldwide are low. Interventions to improve FMS and markers of health among children are warrented. Thus, the purpose of this research was to firstly evaluate the FMS proficicency and markers of health of Irish primary school children, and to design and implement a programme of interventions to improve both. Methods: two interventions (1 physical activity (PA) and 1 FMS) were implemented and evaluated using children from 3 primary schools in Cork. Children (N=271, mean age: 7.98±2.00 years) from senior infants (n=107, mean age: 6.00±0.40 years) and 4th class (n=110, mean age 9.91±0.40 years) participated in the PA intervention evaluation. Children (N=466, mean age: 8.54±2.09 years) from senior infants and 1st class (n=222, mean age: 6.45±0.62 years), and 4th and 5th class (n=244, mean age: 10.44±0.59 years) participated in the FMS intervention evaluation. The test of Gross Motor Development-2 was ued to measure FMS proficiency. Other measures recorded were: height, mass, waist circumference (WC), heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), bodd mass index (BMI) and waist circumference-to-height ratio (WHtR). Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) (measured using the 550m run/walk), physical activity (PA) (measured via accelerometry) and perceived FMS competence (measured using the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence) were also recorded. Correlation and regression analyses were used to investigate the relationship between FMS and markers of health (BMI percentile, WC percentile, HR, BP percentile, 550m time SDS and PA). Repeated measures ANOVAs and ANCOVAs were used to examine the effectiveness of the two interventions on FMS and markers of health. Results: Although there were no significant relationships revealed between FMS and BMI, heart rate and BP, significant positive relationships were found with CRF (6 and 10 year olds respectively: r=.286 and r=.330; p<0.01) and PA levels across the whole cohort (light and total: r=.413 and r=.351 p<0.05). After adjusting for age and sex, FMS explained 15.9% and 20.5% of the variance in CRF among 6 and 10 year olds respectively, and 9.7% and 14.4% of the variance in light and total PA across the whole cohort. Results revealed that a 6-month specialist-led PA intervention, that involved two 25-minute PA session per week and the encouragement of 20 minutes daily of MVPA during class time had no significant impact on children's FMS. Conclusion: While a generic PA intervention had favourable effects on children's adiposity levels, it failed to positively impact on FMS. However, a specifically designed FMS-based intervention was subsequently effective at improving FMS while concurrently reducing adiposity and enhancing CRF. Thus, FMS-based interventions should be implemented in Irish primary schools to improve both FMS and health". Abstract