Normative percentile values for the TGMD-3 for Italian children aged 3--11+ years
Normative percentile values for the TGMD-3 for Italian children aged 3--11+ years
Objectives: sufficient gross motor skill proficiency is an essential prerequisite for the successful performance of sport-specific skills and physical activities. The Test of Gross Motor Development is the most common tool for assessing motor skills in paediatric populations, however, there is a lack of ‘normative’ data available against which children's scores can be compared. Normative data would enable the comparison of an individual's motor development to age-standardised norms. The aim of this study was to develop normative data for the Test of Gross Motor Development Third Edition scores for Italian children. Design: The Test of Gross Motor Development Third Edition scores from > 17,000 Italian children (aged 3–11 + years) were analysed to develop normative scores and percentiles.
Methods: Total Test of Gross Motor Development Third Edition scores and locomotor and ball skills subscale scores were split by age and sex. Using the LMS method, based on the Box-Cox transformation, percentiles were calculated for each sex-specific age category.
Results: 17,026 children were included in the analysis (n = 8262 girls; n = 8766 boys).
Conclusions: this is the largest sample ever used to develop normative data for the Test of Gross Motor Development and the first set of normative data for European children. This normative data can be used to identity insufficient motor skill development and aid subsequent modification of activities to nurture sufficient motor skill proficiency. This is particularly important for children in the lower percentiles given the strong associations between early childhood fundamental motor skill competence and physical activity participation in adolescence and adulthood.
Childhood development, Fundamental motor skills, Normative scores, Physical activity, TGMD-3
398-407
Walters, Grace W.M.
8a724c27-734b-48b4-b5bd-7d86bd4a454f
Cooper, Simon
6e2152a9-87e8-44c5-a84a-ba1f1d20a189
Carlevaro, Fabio
64db4e9a-72d3-4948-b2c2-c54d85f27528
Magno, Francesca
87ecfc99-275f-49a9-9681-36ed9671fdbf
Boat, Ruth
c1e85e80-4e29-4f09-8026-d51cabf18fd7
Vagnetti, Roberto
769db927-be78-4c31-84c5-5ed4379c6fea
D'Anna, Cristiana
fd929cef-349b-450b-8f17-0195123627f8
Musella, Giovanni
64815766-6903-48c2-ac34-68eb3bbe7a43
Magistro, Daniele
ab9296bc-fda6-469e-a3f8-3a574faa1b7e
May 2025
Walters, Grace W.M.
8a724c27-734b-48b4-b5bd-7d86bd4a454f
Cooper, Simon
6e2152a9-87e8-44c5-a84a-ba1f1d20a189
Carlevaro, Fabio
64db4e9a-72d3-4948-b2c2-c54d85f27528
Magno, Francesca
87ecfc99-275f-49a9-9681-36ed9671fdbf
Boat, Ruth
c1e85e80-4e29-4f09-8026-d51cabf18fd7
Vagnetti, Roberto
769db927-be78-4c31-84c5-5ed4379c6fea
D'Anna, Cristiana
fd929cef-349b-450b-8f17-0195123627f8
Musella, Giovanni
64815766-6903-48c2-ac34-68eb3bbe7a43
Magistro, Daniele
ab9296bc-fda6-469e-a3f8-3a574faa1b7e
Walters, Grace W.M., Cooper, Simon, Carlevaro, Fabio, Magno, Francesca, Boat, Ruth, Vagnetti, Roberto, D'Anna, Cristiana, Musella, Giovanni and Magistro, Daniele
(2025)
Normative percentile values for the TGMD-3 for Italian children aged 3--11+ years.
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 28 (5), .
(doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2024.12.013).
Abstract
Objectives: sufficient gross motor skill proficiency is an essential prerequisite for the successful performance of sport-specific skills and physical activities. The Test of Gross Motor Development is the most common tool for assessing motor skills in paediatric populations, however, there is a lack of ‘normative’ data available against which children's scores can be compared. Normative data would enable the comparison of an individual's motor development to age-standardised norms. The aim of this study was to develop normative data for the Test of Gross Motor Development Third Edition scores for Italian children. Design: The Test of Gross Motor Development Third Edition scores from > 17,000 Italian children (aged 3–11 + years) were analysed to develop normative scores and percentiles.
Methods: Total Test of Gross Motor Development Third Edition scores and locomotor and ball skills subscale scores were split by age and sex. Using the LMS method, based on the Box-Cox transformation, percentiles were calculated for each sex-specific age category.
Results: 17,026 children were included in the analysis (n = 8262 girls; n = 8766 boys).
Conclusions: this is the largest sample ever used to develop normative data for the Test of Gross Motor Development and the first set of normative data for European children. This normative data can be used to identity insufficient motor skill development and aid subsequent modification of activities to nurture sufficient motor skill proficiency. This is particularly important for children in the lower percentiles given the strong associations between early childhood fundamental motor skill competence and physical activity participation in adolescence and adulthood.
Text
PIIS1440244024006042
- Version of Record
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 17 December 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 26 December 2024
Published date: May 2025
Keywords:
Childhood development, Fundamental motor skills, Normative scores, Physical activity, TGMD-3
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 506089
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/506089
ISSN: 1440-2440
PURE UUID: b7e7bbef-172a-49f7-917a-0cb3fd7f389c
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Date deposited: 28 Oct 2025 18:22
Last modified: 29 Oct 2025 03:14
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Contributors
Author:
Grace W.M. Walters
Author:
Simon Cooper
Author:
Fabio Carlevaro
Author:
Francesca Magno
Author:
Ruth Boat
Author:
Roberto Vagnetti
Author:
Cristiana D'Anna
Author:
Giovanni Musella
Author:
Daniele Magistro
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