Normative percentile values for the TGMD-3 for Italian children aged 3-11+years.

Abstract

Objectives: Sufficient gross motor skill proficiency is an essential prerequisite for the successful performance of sport-specific skills and physical activities. The Test of Gross Motor Development is the most common tool for assessing motor skills in paediatric populations, however, there is a lack of 'normative' data available against which children's scores can be compared. Normative data would enable the comparison of an individual's motor development to age-standardised norms. The aim of this study was to develop normative data for the Test of Gross Motor Development Third Edition scores for Italian children.

Design: The Test of Gross Motor Development Third Edition scores from >17,000 Italian children (aged 3-11+years) were analysed to develop normative scores and percentiles.

Methods: Total Test of Gross Motor Development Third Edition scores and locomotor and ball skills subscale scores were split by age and sex. Using the LMS method, based on the Box-Cox transformation, percentiles were calculated for each sex-specific age category.

Results: 17,026 children were included in the analysis (n=8262 girls; n=8766 boys).

Conclusions: This is the largest sample ever used to develop normative data for the Test of Gross Motor Development and the first set of normative data for European children. This normative data can be used to identity insufficient motor skill development and aid subsequent modification of activities to nurture sufficient motor skill proficiency. This is particularly important for children in the lower percentiles given the strong associations between early childhood fundamental motor skill competence and physical activity participation in adolescence and adulthood.