Sex differences in physical fitness are evident at an early age; in addition, the relationship between physical fitness and BMI is inconsistent in preschool children. The improvements of physical fitness performance and its association with physical activity could be important for the health of children, particularly in obesity prevention.

The purpose of this study was to examine age and sex differences in static balance (SB) and to determine norm-referenced values for Spanish preschool children. A total of 3,575 children, aged 3-6 years (age = 56.08 ± 11.11 months; body mass index = 15.94 ± 1.91 kg/m; 1,759 girls and 1,816 boys) were selected from 51 schools in southern Spain. To measure SB, we used the Stork Balance Stand Test, averaging both right and left foot data for determining SB normative values, expressed in percentiles. Girls exhibited a better performance than boys at four years of age ( p = .010, Cohen's d = -0.165), but a poorer performance at six years ( p = .002, Cohen's d = 0.247). SB performance of the entire sample was higher with increased age, except for 5-6 years.

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