Healthy Volunteers
Conditions
Keywords
play-based motor training, motor competence, MABC-2, children, executive function, cognitive performanc, physical education, motor skills
Brief summary
This randomized controlled study evaluated the effects of an 8-week structured play-based motor training program on motor competence in boys aged 7-10 years. Forty eligible participants were individually randomized in a 1:1 ratio to an intervention group or a usual physical-education control group. The intervention consisted of 24 play-based motor-training sessions delivered three times per week for 60 minutes, whereas the control group continued usual physical education twice per week for 40 minutes. The primary outcome was motor competence assessed using the MABC-2 total score. Cognitive test performance measured using the Kay Cognitive-Diagnostic Test and parent-rated executive-function difficulties measured using the BRIEF Parent Form were exploratory secondary outcomes. Posttest outcomes were compared between groups using ANCOVA with the corresponding baseline score as a covariate. This study record was created retrospectively after completion of the study.
Detailed description
The study was conducted during the 2024-2025 academic year in Dongchuan District, Yunnan Province, China. The sampling frame comprised approximately 72 boys from four eligible classes across two primary schools. Fifty children were randomly selected by lottery for eligibility assessment. Ten children were excluded before allocation: six because of physical or motor conditions that did not meet eligibility requirements, three because parental consent was not provided, and one because child assent was not obtained. The remaining 40 eligible participants were individually randomized in a 1:1 ratio to the intervention or control group using a computer-generated random allocation sequence. Allocation was concealed using sequentially numbered, opaque, sealed envelopes prepared independently and opened after completion of baseline assessments. The intervention group received an 8-week structured play-based motor-training program comprising 24 sessions, with three 60-minute sessions per week. Sessions included social interaction, warm-up, play-based motor activities, cool-down, and feedback. Main activities included coordinated movement with children's rhymes, animal-imitation games, running, jumping, throwing, rolling, and ball activities. The control group continued usual physical education twice weekly for approximately 40 minutes per session. MABC-2 and Kay assessments were conducted by an independent trained assessor blinded to group allocation. Parents completing the BRIEF were not blinded. The primary outcome was the MABC-2 total score. Kay total score and BRIEF mean item score were treated as exploratory secondary outcomes. All 40 randomized participants completed posttest assessment. No serious or intervention-related adverse events were reported.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALStructured Play-Based Motor Training Program
Participants in the intervention arm received an 8-week structured play-based motor training program delivered three times per week for 60 minutes per session, for a total of 24 sessions. Each session followed a standardized 60-minute format consisting of 5 minutes of social/introductory interaction, 5 minutes of warm-up activities, 40 minutes of structured play-based motor activities, 5 minutes of cool-down, and 5 minutes of feedback. The main activity component included coordinated movements accompanied by children's rhymes, animal-imitation games, and fundamental motor activities such as running, jumping, throwing, rolling, and simple ball-handling tasks. Activities were delivered in a game-based format and emphasized active participation, movement exploration, coordination, and repeated practice of fundamental movement skills. The intervention replaced the participants' usual physical-education sessions during the study period.
BEHAVIORALUsual Physical Education
Participants in the control arm continued their usual school physical-education program throughout the 8-week study period. Usual physical education was delivered twice per week for approximately 40 minutes per session and included general fitness activities, running, stretching, and simple recreational games. The control program did not include the structured play-based motor training protocol, the standardized 5+5+40+5+5 session format, or the systematic motor-practice activities used in the intervention arm. Control sessions were scheduled separately from the intervention sessions, and control participants did not observe the structured intervention activities.
Sponsors
Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj
Islamic Azad University of Mashhad
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
MABC-2 and Kay assessments were conducted by an independent trained assessor who was blinded to participants' group allocation. Participants and the physical-education teacher delivering the intervention could not be blinded because of the behavioral nature of the intervention. Parents completing the BRIEF were aware of study procedures and were not blinded to group allocation.
Intervention model description
Two-arm, parallel-group, individually randomized controlled study.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
7 Years to 10 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Male children aged 7-10 years * Enrolled in one of the eligible primary-school classes included in the study sampling frame * Able to participate in regular school physical-education and play-based motor activities * Written informed consent provided by a parent or legal guardian Child assent provided
Exclusion criteria
* A physical or motor condition that prevented safe or effective participation in the intervention or assessments * Parental or guardian consent not provided * Child assent not provided
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MABC-2 Total Score | Baseline and approximately 9 weeks after baseline (one week after completion of the 8-week intervention) | Motor competence was assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (MABC-2), using the age-appropriate Age Band 2 procedures. The MABC-2 total score was used as the primary motor-performance outcome. Higher scores indicate better motor performance. The primary statistical comparison used posttest scores adjusted for the corresponding baseline score using ANCOVA. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kay Cognitive-Diagnostic Test Total Score | Baseline and approximately 9 weeks after baseline | Cognitive test performance was assessed using the Kay Cognitive-Diagnostic Test. Five subtests assessed concept formation, symbolic thinking, socialization of thought, visual-motor perception, and short-term attention/psychomotor speed. The total score ranges theoretically from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better performance. A translated Chinese version was used without formal age-specific validation; therefore, this outcome was considered exploratory. |
| BRIEF Parent-Form Mean Item Score | Baseline and approximately 9 weeks after baseline | Executive-function difficulties were assessed using the 86-item Chinese parent form of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Items were rated from 1 (never) to 3 (often), and the mean item score was calculated across the 86 items. Higher scores indicate greater parent-rated executive-function difficulties. The same parent or caregiver completed the questionnaire at baseline and posttest. This was an exploratory secondary outcome. |
Countries
China
Outcome results
None listed