Motor Competence in Greek Adolescents Using Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2nd Edition: Associations with Individual and Environmental Factors.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of the present study was to assess motor competence and identify motor difficulties among Greek adolescents using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2nd Edition (MABC-2). The secondary aim was to evaluate associations and differences across gender, school grade (age), BMI, hand dominance, extracurricular organized PA participation, and school type in relation to motor competence. METHODS: The MABC-2 was utilized primarily as an exploratory screening instrument to identify potential motor difficulties within the sampled adolescent cohort (N = 742; Mage = 13.98 yrs.), rather than as a definitive clinical diagnostic tool for Developmental Coordination Disorder. RESULTS: This study identified a low prevalence of motor difficulties among the sampled adolescents (1.5% definite, 3.6% at risk). Preliminary trends suggested a 1.5:1 boy-to-girl motor difficulty ratio. Within exploratory analyses, "at-risk" boys scored lower in balance and manual dexterity, while girls showed potential challenges in ball skills. Tentative subgroup analyses indicated that physical activity participants within these cohorts scored higher in balance and ball skills, though small sample sizes warrant caution. Other demographic or school environmental factors-specifically academic grades, body mass index, handedness, and school types-showed no clear associations with motor competence. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified a low prevalence of motor difficulties among Greek adolescents, with preliminary trends suggesting that structured extracurricular activity may support motor development. The findings indicate potential gender variations in specific motor domains and highlight the need for longitudinal research to confirm these observations.