{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,26]],"date-time":"2026-02-26T21:09:56Z","timestamp":1772140196158,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,6,15]],"date-time":"2017-06-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1497484800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study examined motor competence (MC) behavior in 6- to 14-year-old children, and investigated the differences in health-related fitness (HRF) between high and low MC groups, according to sex and age. A sample of 564 children (288 males) participated in this study, divided into three age groups (6\u20138 years; 9\u201311 years; 12\u201314 years). Total MC and its three components (stability, locomotor, and manipulative) were assessed with a quantitative instrument. HRF was evaluated using a maximal multistage 20-m shuttle-run test and the handgrip test. Participants were divided into tertiles according to their MC level and high and low MC groups were analyzed. Overall, MC increased across age groups for both sexes, but boys presented better results than girls. The high MC group outperformed their low MC peers in all HRF variables, independent of their age group. Although cardiovascular fitness increased with age for both the high and low MC groups, the differences between these groups were greater in older children compared to younger children, within the study age range. The findings suggest that MC interventions should be considered as an important strategy to enhance HRF, and girls at a young age should be a priority target.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/sports5020041","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,6,15]],"date-time":"2017-06-15T10:07:33Z","timestamp":1497521253000},"page":"41","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Link between Motor Competence and Health Related Fitness in Children and Adolescents"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"5","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9126-5375","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carlos","family":"Luz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, 1495-688 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"Escola Superior de Educa\u00e7\u00e3o de Lisboa, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Lisboa, 1549-003 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4907-7186","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rita","family":"Cordovil","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Motor Behavior, CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, 1549-003 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Gabriela","family":"Almeida","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Desporto e Sa\u00fade, Universidade de \u00c9vora, 7000-803 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Luis","family":"Rodrigues","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viana do Castelo, Escola Superior Desporto e Lazer, 960-529 Melga\u00e7o, Portugal"},{"name":"Research Center in Sports Sciences Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,6,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"57","DOI":"10.47102\/annals-acadmedsg.V38N1p57","article-title":"Review on epidemic of obesity","volume":"38","author":"Low","year":"2009","journal-title":"Ann. 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