Motor Competence Prevalence in School-Aged Czech Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to understand the motor competence (MC) level of Czech schoolage children determined using the product-oriented Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (second edition) and to analyze the gender and age differences. The MC level inn = 637 children aged 6.0-11.0 years (46.6% girls) was evaluated using total motor composite and subcategories of fine and gross motor skills: fine manual control, manual coordination, body coordination, and strength and agility. Seventy-one percent of children had at least a satisfactory level of MC. The distribution of the total motor composite score of the Czech sample was uneven, with only 11.0% scoring above average and 29.4% scoring below average. However, we found low-level of MC in almost one third of children. The prevalence of well-below average results was found at 7%. Significant differences were found depending on age (p < .001), where we observed decreased MC with increasing age. Gender differences were reflected in the poorer level of fine motor skills in boys (p < .001). Given the high prevalence of low MC, these findings suggest the need for effective intervention in Czech children as an important prerequisite for comprehensive development in physical, psychosocial, and cognitive aspects.