The usefulness of functional movement screen at school

Abstract

The reduction in basic movement patterns is the actual trend in preschoolers with a concomitant increase of bodyweight and inactivity status. The aim of this study was to investigate gender and age differences in Functional Movement Screen (FMS) scores in secondary school children.
One hundred and one, Italian, students (age birth= from 1996 to 2001 y, height=172±5.0 cm, mass=64.2±0.1 kg) took part at this study. All participants were evaluated at school using the FMS before the physical education lesson.
Secondary female showed higher scores in FMS Composite Score, Shoulder Mobility and Active Straight Leg Raise compared to their counterparts (p<0.05). On the other hand, males scored higher on Trunk Stability Push Up (p=0.0279) than female students. The age do not have any significant interaction with functional performance. Finally, fifty-seven of sixty-eight males and
nineteen of thirty-three females healthy students scored 14 or less on the FMS Composite Score (p=0.0041). Students are encouraged to practice physical activity, both at school in classroom with many movement-breaks or in their leisure time, to limit the negative trend of functional performance. Teachers at school could also consider the FMS as suitable option inside the physical
fitness battery tests to detect movement competences of their students.