Reference Values of Static Balance in Spanish Preschool Children

Román, Pedro Ángel Latorre; López, David Mora; Fuentes, Alejandro Robles; García‐Pinillos, Felipe

doi:10.1177/0031512517708528

Cited by 12 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 31 publications

(31 reference statements)

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“…All articles included static balance tests that required the children to balance on one leg. Some articles ( n = 11) reported this simply on a firm surface with eyes open [ 32 , 34 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 ]. Stankovic and Radenkovic [ 71 ] also asked children to stand on a single leg on a firm surface, repeating this with their eyes closed.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Twelve articles used time, in seconds, as the outcome measure for the single-leg tests [ 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 76 ]. The range of time the single-leg stance was maintained for on a hard surface with eyes open ranged from 6.67 s [ 63 ] to 87.6 s [ 65 ], with eyes closed, 6.9 s was the lowest outcome [ 71 ] with 33.62 s being the highest [ 73 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Five articles reported gender differences between the children, as four articles reported girls having better balance than boys [ 34 , 35 , 69 , 71 ] and, conversely, Marin [ 67 ] reported boys to have better balance ability than girls. Four articles reported the effect of age on the children’s balance ability, with clear increases in time held [ 69 ], points scored [ 35 ] or reduction in sway velocity or centre of pressure movement recorded [ 34 , 74 ] as the children aged.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gender was also found to be an influential factor on balance ability, with girls out-performing boys in all the articles reporting gender differences [ 34 , 35 , 69 , 71 ], with the exception of one article [ 65 ]. In previous literature, this is commonly attributed to societal gender norms, with girl’s preference and encouragement to take part in activities such as dance and ballet, where single-limb balance may be required frequently [ 92 , 93 ], and thus increase their static balance ability.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This highlights the need to ensure that both boys and girls are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities to increase their exposure to different movement patterns, environments and opportunities. This being said, four articles reported a clear increase in balance ability between children aged 4 and 5 years [ 34 , 35 , 69 , 74 ], suggesting that balance ability is affected by maturation to a greater degree than other elements of FMS and MC at these ages.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Fundamental Movement Skills and Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity Levels during Early Childhood: A Systematic Review

et al. 2020

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Early childhood is a key period for children to begin developing and practicing fundamental movement skills (FMS), while aiming to perform sufficient physical activity (PA). This study reviews the current evidence for the levels of achievement in FMS and PA measured using accelerometers among 4–5-year-old children and examines differences by gender. This review was conducted using the PRISMA framework. Keyword searches were conducted in Pubmed, Medline, Google Scholar and SPORTDiscus. Inclusion criteria included age: 4–5 years old; FMS measurement: Test of Gross Motor Development 2 and 3; PA measurement: objective methods; balance measurement: static single limb; study design: cross-sectional observational/descriptive, randomised control trials, intervention studies; language: English. Twenty-eight articles from twenty-one countries met the inclusion criteria and were split into either FMS and PA articles (n = 10) or balance articles (n = 18). Three articles showed children achieving 60 min of moderate to vigorous PA per day, two articles demonstrated significant differences between girls’ and boys’ performance of locomotor skills and five reported locomotor skills to be more proficient than object control skills at this age for both genders. Balance was measured in time (n = 12), points score (n = 3) or biomechanical variables (n = 3), displaying heterogeneity of not only measurement but also outcomes within these data, with static single limb balance held between 6.67 to 87.6 s within the articles. Four articles reported girls to have better balance than boys. There is little conclusive evidence of the current levels for FMS, PA and balance achievement in young children 4–5 years of age. The academic literature consistently reports low levels of FMS competence and mixed evidence for PA levels. Inconsistencies lie in balance measurement methodology, with broad-ranging outcomes of both low and high achievement at 4–5 years old. Further research is required to focus on increasing practice opportunities for children to improve their FMS, increase PA levels and establish sufficient balance ability. Consistent and comparable outcomes during early childhood through more homogenous methodologies are warranted.

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