Damir Sekulic1, Tomislav Pranjic1, Ivana Cerkez Zovko2, Marin Corluka2, Petra Rajkovic Vuletic1,3
1University of Split, Faculty of Kinesiology, Split, Croatia
2University of Mostar, Faculty of Science and Education, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
3University of Zagreb, Faculty of Kinesiology, Zagreb, Croatia
Examining Qualitative Changes in Physical Fitness and Body Composition in a School-Based Physical Literacy Intervention: Methodological and Practical Considerations
Sport Mont 2026, 24(1), Ahead of Print | DOI: 10.26773/smj.260217
Abstract
Studying qualitative changes is important in sport and exercise sciences because it reveals how different physical traits interact and develop together over time. This study aimed to explore how a physical literacy–based intervention (PL-intervention) affects the relationships between body composition and fitness indicators in preadolescent children. The participants were 112 children (9 to 11 years old, 50 girls), divided into a control group (C group, n=61) and an exper- imental intervention group (E group, n=51). They were tested in anthropometrics/body composition (height, mass, body fat, and skeletal muscle mass) and fitness indicators (assessing jumping power, abdominal and upper body strengths, mobility, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance) at initial (September), final (December), and retention measurements (May). Between the initial and final measurements, the E-group participated in a structured physical literacy-based in- tervention (PL-intervention) delivered as a part of their regular physical education classes (PE), while the C-group par- ticipated in standard PE. To examine changes in the intervariable associations over time, correlation matrices were computed, while factor loading matrices were compared across measurement phases using Tucker’s coefficient of congruence for each study group. During the course of the study, the C-group experienced certain qualitative changes, showing early signs of structural divergence. On the other hand, factor structures and correlations among variables for the E-group were similar across measurements, suggesting that the intervention helped maintain stable relationships between body composition and physical fitness variables. The results suggest that the applied intervention program supported coordinated and balanced physical development and showed that such programs may help children develop lasting and organized patterns of physical functioning.
Keywords
curriculum, anthropometry, motor abilities, physical education, program evaluation
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