Work

Measuring gross motor skills in African children using the PERF-FIT

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Africa is facing a rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), driven by shifts in lifestyle and dietary habits. Children with delays in motor coordination are less likely to participate in physical activity, active play, and sports, placing them at increased risk for obesity, reduced physical fitness, and cardiovascular diseases. Existing motor performance tests for school-aged children were not designed for African populations and lack culturally valid normative data. As part of an African-led initiative, the PERFormance and FITness test battery (PERF-FIT) was developed to assess motor performance and motor skill-related physical fitness in children aged 6–12 years. The PERF-FIT test battery is open-source, contextually relevant, and tailored for low-resource settings. This study involved the collection of motor performance data from a large sample of African children to establish age- and sex-specific normative values. This study generates normative data for motor skills in African children aged 6–12 years (n = 2604), stratified by age and sex. These norms complement the previously validated psychometric properties of the PERF-FIT, confirming its reliability and applicability across diverse African contexts. The PERF-FIT test battery provides a culturally appropriate and psychometrically sound tool for assessing motor performance in African children. It serves as a valuable resource for clinicians, educators, and policymakers to monitor motor skill related physical fitness and detect motor delays in children aged 6–12 years in African countries. This study aimed to make a motor performance test that is suitable for African children aged 6 to 12 years. Many existing tests were developed in other regions and do not reflect the abilities or context of African children. Researchers of an African-led initiative developed the PERFormance and FITness test battery (PERF-FIT), which is free to use and designed for schools, clinics and healthcare workers in low-resource settings. The study describes how data were collected from 2604 children to create age- and sex-specific norms. These results help professionals understand what typical motor skills look like in African children. This tool can support early identification of children at risk for motor delays and health problems based on low motor fitness. Smits-Engelsman et al. develop the PERFormance and FITness test battery (PERF-FIT), a free motor test tailored for children in low-resource African settings. The test shows strong psychometric properties, and the publication includes a manual, scoring sheets, and age- and sex-specific norms based on data from 2,604 children.

Source: Communications Medicine

DOI: 10.1038/s43856-026-01592-9