Sport Mont | 2026
Authors: Sekulic D.; Pranjic T.; Cerkez Zovko I.; Corluka M.; Rajkovic Vuletic P.
DOI: 10.26773/smj.260217
Journal: Sport Mont
Year: 2026
Publisher: Montenegrin Sports Academy
Document Type: Article
Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access
Cited by: 0
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 experimental 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 intervention (PL-intervention) delivered as a part of their regular physical education classes (PE), while the C-group participated 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. © 2026, Montenegrin Sports Academy. All rights reserved.
anthropometry; curriculum; motor abilities; physical education; program evaluation