Motor Ability and Mental Health of Young Children: A Longitudinal Study

This study used a longitudinal method to investigate relations between motor abilities and mental health in young children. We analyzed longitudinal data of 38 Japanese children who were 3-6 years old. We administered the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Second edition (MABC2) and Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at 3-4 years and 5-6 years of age: MABC2 was used to evaluate each child's motor ability; SDQ was used to assess the degree of their mental health difficulties and prosocial behavior. Logistic regression results indicated that the MABC2 score at 3-4 years can predict the risk of motor skill impairments at 5-6 years (adjusted odds ratio was 0.354). Motor ability assessed at 3-4 years, however, did not predict the risk of mental health problems at 5-6 years. Analyses of longitudinal quantitative changes in motor ability and mental health confirmed these results. Mental health problems that occurred at 5-6 years were related only to individual SDQ score differences at 3-4 years. The MABC2 total score at 3-4 years was not related to later prosocial behavior. Boys tended to obtain a lower MABC2 score at 5-6 years. Girls tended to obtain a higher SDQ prosocial score at 5-6 years. Results of this study suggest that motor skill impairment and SDQ-measured mental health are independent characteristics in young Japanese children aged 3-6 years.