Studies spanning early (Fisher et al. 2005 ; Williams et al. 2008 ) and later
(Wrotniak et al. 2006 ; Lopes et al. 2011 ) childhood and adolescence (Schmücker
et al. 1984 ; Okely et al. 2001 ) highlight relationships between proficiency in
movement skills and physical activity. Although correlations tend to be moderate at
best and vary with age, relationships between skill and activity were more apparent
at the extremes of skill; i.e., children more proficient in movement skills (highest
quartile) tend to spend proportionally more time in MVPA compared to children
with movement skill scores in the other quartiles (Fisher et al. 2005 ; Wrotniak et al.
2006 ). Motor proficiency is also negatively correlated with percentage of ac-
celerometry time spent in sedentary pursuits among children 8–10 years (Wrotniak
et al. 2006 ).
In a short-term longitudinal study, children in the highest tertile of motor
coordination at 6 years of age had a higher level of physical activity
(interview-assisted questionnaire) which changed negligibly from 6 to 9 years,
whereas children in the middle and lowest tertiles of coordination at 6 years had a
lower level of activity which declined linearly with age from 6 to 9 years of age
(Lopes et al. 2011 ). The results highlight the potential importance of early motor
coordination to influence subsequent physical activity; i.e., better motor coordina-
tion at 6 years may attenuate the decline in activity, whereas less developed motor
coordination at 6 years may amplify the decline in physical activity across
childhood.
Among boys and girls in grades 8 (mean age 13.3 years) and 10 (mean age
15.3 years), a movement proficiency score based on six movement patterns (run,
vertical jump, catch, kick, overhand throw, forehand strike) was related to time
spent in organized physical activity more so in girls than in boys. On the other hand,
movement proficiency was not related to non-organized physical activity in both
sexes (Okely et al. 2001 ).
The preceding studies indicate a positive relationship between movement pro-
ficiency and physical activity. Nevertheless, the variance in physical activity
accounted for by motor skill is relatively small (Fisher et al. 2005 ; Okely et al.
2001 ). By inference, there is a need to include other factors which may influence
motor proficiency and physical activity, e.g., quality of preschool programs and
physical education, specific skill instruction, peer interactions, biological matura-
tion, and more specific indicators of body composition instead of the BMI, among
others.
Physical Activity and Physical Fitness
Given the long history of interest in relationships between physical activity and
physicalfitness, it was surprising that indicators offitness were not considered
among correlates of PA. Correlations between cardiorespiratoryfitness (distance
run) and physical activity (parental and teacher questionnaires) among children 6–
9 years (Pate et al. 1990 ) and between indicators of health-related physicalfitness
86 R.M. Malina et al.