Effects of caregiver type and gender differences on the fundamental movement skills among children aged 4 - 5 years

CHEN Qian; SU Xiaoxia; MAO Xujiang; YE Weibing

doi:10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-1308

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Chinese Journal of Child Health Care ›› 2026, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (11) : 1251-1256. DOI: 10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-1308

Child Development and Rehabilitation

Effects of caregiver type and gender differences on the fundamental movement skills among children aged 4 - 5 years

CHEN Qian^1,2,3, SU Xiaoxia^4,5, MAO Xujiang^1,3, YE Weibing⁵

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Abstract

Objective To explore the effects of caregiver type (parental vs. grandparental caregiving) and gender differences on the fundamental movement skills (FMS) of preschool children aged 4–5 years, so as to provide a basis for FMS cultivation in this age group. Methods From September and November 2021, a cluster sampling method was used to select 732 preschool children aged 4 - 5 years from six kindergartens in Jinhua City. The Test of Gross Motor Development-3rd Edition (TGMD-3) was used to assess children′s FMS across two dimensions: locomotor skills and object control skills. A two-way ANCOVA was performed to examine the main and interaction effects of caregiver type and gender on children′s FMS development. Results After controlling for paternal and maternal educational levels, significant interaction effects between caregiver type and gender were found for the total FMS score (F=7.640), locomotor skills score (F=4.687), and object control skills score (F=8.242) (P<0.05). The main effect of gender was statistically significant for object control skills (F=4.532, P=0.032), but not for locomotor skills or the total FMS score (both P>0.05). Item-level analyses showed significant main effects of gender on skipping (F=4.028), underhand throwing (F=12.736), two-handed striking of a stationary ball (F=9.965), and kicking a stationary ball (F=9.575) (P<0.05), and significant main effects of caregiver type on underhand throwing (F=4.721) and kicking a stationary ball (F=3.966) (P<0.05). Significant interaction effects between caregiver type and gender were also found for catching (F=4.673), one-hand dribbling of a stationary ball (F=9.170), and one-hand striking of a self-bounced ball (F=6.606) (P<0.05). Conclusions Caregiver type and gender interact synergistically to shape early motor development in young children. Differentiated interventions should be implemented for children from different caregiving backgrounds. A "family-kindergarten-community" collaborative mechanism is recommended, with particular attention to mitigating the potential inhibitory effect of grandparental caregiving on boys′ gross motor development, so as to promote comprehensive and balanced FMS development among preschool children.

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preschool children / caregivers / gender / fundamental movement skills

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CHEN Qian, SU Xiaoxia, MAO Xujiang, YE Weibing. Effects of caregiver type and gender differences on the fundamental movement skills among children aged 4 - 5 years[J]. Chinese Journal of Child Health Care. 2026, 34(11): 1251-1256 https://doi.org/10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-1308

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