Luboslav Siska1, Jaromir Sedlacek1,2, David Stun2, Jaroslav Brodani1, Jozef Zentko1
1Catholic University, Faculty of Education, Department of Sport and Physical Education, Ruzomberok, Slovakia
2Presov University, Faculty of Sport, Presov, Slovakia
A Longitudinal Analysis of Motor Performance Development in School-Aged Youth: A Composite Index Approach
Sport Mont 2026, 24(3), Ahead of Print | DOI: 10.26773/smj.261010
Abstract
Understanding the developmental dynamics of motor performance during adolescence is essential for evidence-based physical education and youth sport practice. The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine the development and determinants of motor performance across school-aged years. Fifty-one pupils underwent anthropometric assessment and completed five motor tests (sit-ups, standing broad jump, medicine ball throw, 50 m sprint, and Cooper test) in the 5th, 7th, and 9th grades. Exploratory factor analysis suggesting a predominantly unidimensional structure of motor performance, with all five tests loading strongly on a single factor (loadings ranging from |0.572| to |0.897|), which jus- tified the creation of a composite motor performance index. In the developmental model without BMI, significant main effects of grade, gender, and sport participation were observed (all p<0.001), along with significant interaction effects, indicating differences in motor performance across school years and between subgroups. After including BMI as a covariate, most grade and group effects were attenuated, while BMI remained the only consistent predictor of motor performance (p=0.024). Model comparison demonstrated improved explanatory relevance when BMI was included. Motor performance develops across adolescence and differs according to gender and sport participation; however, BMI plays a central role in explaining these differences. Weight status should therefore be considered when interpreting developmental trajectories of motor performance in school-aged youth.
Keywords
school-aged youth, physical development, fitness testing, performance index, factor, mixed-effects modeling
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