Eur J Pediatr. 2025 Dec 20;185(1):29. doi: 10.1007/s00431-025-06663-y.
ABSTRACT
The MOBAK-KG battery is a widely used tool for assessing motor skills in kindergartens. However, no normative data exists for Spanish-speaking children in Spain. The purpose of this study was two-fold: to develop normative reference values for the MOBAK-KG battery stratified by sex and age in children aged 4-6 years and to evaluate the factorial structure of the MOBAK-KG battery. This cross-sectional study enrolled 375 Spanish children (51.5% female). Smoothed percentile for object-movement, self-movement, and total MOBAK-KG scores were calculated using the LMS method, incorporating the γ-lambda, μ-mu, and δ-sigma parameters according to age and sex, and confirmatory factor analysis was performed to determine the construct validity. Fit indices and parameter estimates were reported. The MOBAK-KG battery (observable items) that cover the object movement and self-movement motor competencies (latent factors) were consistently higher in boys than in girls and increased across age groups for both sexes. The results confirm the structure of the one-factor model provided the best representation of the data (χ2/df ratio = 1.09, CFI = 0.997; RMSEA = 0.016), and the structure of the two-factor model in all sections of the MOBAK battery also demonstrated acceptable fit (χ2/df = 1.33, CFI = 0.972; RMSEA = 0.036).
CONCLUSION: This is the first study to provide normative MOBAK-KG data for preschool children in Spain, based on a representative sample from Northern Spain. Our results suggest that the MOBAK-KG is a valid tool to assess fundamental motor competence in children in Spain. These normative data provide pediatricians and educators with objective benchmarks to identify children at risk of motor deficits.
WHAT IS KNOWN: • Fundamental motor skills (FMS) are essential for children’s development and for sustaining lifelong physical activity. • MOBAK-KG is a validated tool for preschool motor competence, but normative data and structure have mainly come from German/Swiss cohorts, limiting use in Spain.
WHAT IS NEW: • We provide the first Spanish norms for MOBAK-KG (ages 4-6) and confirm its psychometric structure: the one-factor model fits best, while the two-factor (OM/SM) solution remains useful for domain profiling. • We quantified age-related gains and modest sex differences and provided percentile cut-offs to support screening and early pediatric assessment and intervention.
PMID:41420717 | DOI:10.1007/s00431-025-06663-y
