Accuracy of children’s perceived skill competence and its association with physical activity

Background: Perceived movement competence is important in the relationship between actual competence and physical activity (PA). This study examines the accuracy of children’s perceptions and investigates the relationship between perceived competence (PC) and PA. Methods: Data collected were part of Project Spraoi, a PA and nutrition-based intervention. Participants (N = 419) were senior infant/first class (n = 202, mean age: 6.5 [0.6] y) and fourth/fifth class (n = 217, mean age: 10.4 [0.6] y) children from 3 schools in Cork, Ireland. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2 and Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence for Young Children assessed actual and PC in 6 locomotor and 6 object-control fundamental movement skills. Moderate to vigorous PA levels were measured by accelerometry. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests assessed the accuracy of PC. Hierarchical regression analysis investigated relationships between PC and both actual competence and moderate to vigorous PA. Results: Children had greater perceived overall and object-control competence than actual. Among younger children, there was no difference between perceived locomotor and actual, while older children had lower perceived locomotor competence than actual. PC did not predict actual competence. Perceived object-control and total PC were significant predictors of moderate to vigorous PA. Conclusions: Children have inflated perceptions of their overall and object-control movement skill competency. Perceived object-control and total FMS is associated with PA and thus, interventions aimed at increasing PA among children should target PC.