A Fundamental Movement Skill Test for Preschool Children With and Without Overweight: The SALTO Test Battery

Jürgen Birklbauer* (First author), Burkhard Gniewosz, Thomas Freudenthaler, Anita Birklbauer, Birgit Pötzelsberger, Hans-Peter Wiesinger (Co-author), Daniel Weghuber (Co-author), Susanne Ring-Dimitriou

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalOriginal Articlepeer-review

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate a 3-factor model of fundamental movement skills in preschool children, incorporating both process- and product-oriented assessment methods, and to test the model's invariance across subgroups of age, body weight and sex. Methods: The SALTO test battery was administered to 736 preschool children aged 3-6 years. A single-indicator multitrait-multimethod model was specified with Locomotion, Object Manipulation, and Balance as latent factors and a latent method factor to address the multimethod design. Measurement invariance was tested across subgroups using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. Results: The 3-factor model yielded good fi t indices, confirming the construct validity of the SALzburg Together against Obesity test battery. Strong measurement invariance was found across body mass index groups, whereas partial invariance was observed across age and sex groups. Older children outperformed younger ones in all skill domains, children with overweight had lower skills in Balance and Locomotion, and sex differences were found in Object Manipulation and Balance. Conclusion: The SALTO test battery is a structurally valid tool for evaluating and comparing fundamental movement skills in preschool children across age, weight status, and sex. The fi ndings underscore the importance of considering these factors when designing interventions to enhance fundamental movement skills in early childhood.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages14
JournalPediatric Exercise Science
Early online dateNov 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 22 Nov 2024

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