THE ROLE OF SPORT PARTICIPATION AND BODY MASS INDEX IN PREDICTING MOTOR COMPETENCE OF SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between Sport Participation (SP) and Motor Competence (MC) in school-age children, and to assess the mediation role of Body Mass Index (BMI) on this association. 707 children (332 boys, 375 girls) aged between 6- to 10 years participated in the study. Motor competence was determined using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2). Parents were asked about organized SP, categorized as 1) no participation, 2) partial participation and 3) consistent participation, and BMI was calculated based on the child’s height and weight. The results indicated significant differences for all MC components and total score for SP categories, all p