Predilection for Physical Activity and Body Mass Index Z-Score Can Quickly Identify Children Needing Support for a Physically Active Lifestyle

Comprehensive physical literacy assessments can be time-consuming and require a gymnasium space and examiner training. This project sought to identify easy-to-administer tasks, suitable for all physical activity and healthcare settings, which could quickly screen a group of children to identify those most likely to benefit from an in-depth assessment or additional physical literacy support. The 40 potential screening tasks were compared to the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy among 226 children (57% female) 8 to 12 years of age. Absolute body mass index z-score above 0.67 or predilection for physical activity less than 31.5/36 points had the highest sensitivity (81% and 83%, respectively) and specificity (45% and 52%, respectively). Predilection less than 31.5 combined with absolute body mass index z-scores achieved 81% sensitivity and 64% sensitivity. When the selected tasks were repeated on a different sample of 71 children (50% female) results were similar, with the combination of predilection and absolute body mass index achieving 92% sensitivity and 53% specificity. Predilection for physical activity, alone or in combination with absolute body mass index z-score, are quick and easy screening tasks suitable for all physical activity settings that can identify children likely to need additional support for a physically active lifestyle.