Correlation of Gross Motor Movement, and Balance With Screen Time in Healthy Children

Gross motor function involves large muscle control for activities like walking, running, and sports, and is essential for balance and coordination. Excessive screen time may hinder gross motor development by reducing physical activity, affecting strength and coordination. Structured activities like free play and exercise are key to minimizing these effects. A cross-sectional study will be conducted over 10 months in public and private schools in Lahore. Children aged 7-10 will be included. Screen time will be assessed through demographic data, and gross motor skills evaluated using the TGMD-2. Exclusion criteria: PBS < 20, TGMD-2 < 30, recent orthopedic surgery, and MMSE < 26. Data will be analyzed in SPSS v25 using descriptive statistics and correlation. This study explores the impact of screen time on children's physical development, particularly gross motor skills and balance

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Key information

Conditions

Healthy Children

Age range

7 year–10 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

About this study

This study aims to examine the impact of screen time on gross motor development in school-aged children. Gross motor function, which involves large muscle control for activities such as walking, running, and sports, plays a vital role in developing balance, coordination, and overall physical health. With increased screen use among children, physical activity levels may decrease, potentially affecting their motor development.

A cross-sectional study will be conducted over 10 months in public and private schools across Lahore. The target population includes children aged 7 to 10 years. Screen time exposure will be recorded through demographic questionnaires, and gross motor skills will be assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development-Second Edition (TGMD-2). Children will be excluded if they have a Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS) score below 20, a TGMD-2 score below 30, recent orthopedic surgery, or a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score below 26. Data will be analyzed using SPSS version 25 with descriptive statistics and correlation tests. This study seeks to identify how screen time may influence key aspects of children's physical development, particularly focusing on gross motor skills and balance

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Children between ages 7 to 10 years
Children with screen time exposure of more than 2 hours per day on a weekday (30,
Screen time exposure through television, smartphones, tablets, laptops or computers.
Children with exposure of screen time more than 3 hours on a weekend

Exclusion criteria

Children with Pediatric balance score: below 45.
Children with TGMD-2 Score: below 30 (less than 10" percentile).
Children who have had orthopedic surgery within the previous 6 months.
Cognition Score below 26 on MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination).

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

PBS (Pediatric Berg Balance Scale)

Time frame: baseline

The Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS) is a modified version of Berg's Balance Scale, designed for school-aged children with mild to moderate motor difficulties. In a study by Bal et al., 20 children (ages 5-15) with balance disorders were tested twice by the same examiner. Additionally, 10 pediatric physical therapists, unaware of the study hypotheses, rated 10 randomly chosen sessions. The PBS showed excellent reliability, with high test-retest (ICC = 0.998) and interrater (ICC = 0.997) consistency, confirming its effectiveness as a reliable balance assessment tool for this population
Screen Time Questionnaire

Time frame: baseline

The Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS), a modified Berg's Balance Scale, is for school-aged children with mild to moderate motor difficulties. In a study by Bal et al., 20 children (ages 5-15) were tested twice by the same examiner, and 10 pediatric physical therapists rated 10 randomly chosen sessions. PBS showed high test-retest (ICC = 0.998) and interrater reliability (ICC = 0.997), confirming its effectiveness as a reliable balance assessment tool
TGMD-2 (Test of Gross Motor Development-2)

Time frame: baseline

The Test of Gross Motor Development-Second Edition (TGMD-2) evaluates children's motor skills. A study assessed the Portuguese version for clarity, validity, and reliability. Two trials per child were video recorded for analysis. The motor tasks were found clear and reflective of motor development. The test showed good validity (Chi-square/df = 3.38; GFI = 0.95; AGFI = 0.92; TLI = 0.83) and strong reliability (locomotor: r = 0.82; object control: r = 0.88).
kinovea software

Time frame: baseline

Kinovea is a non-invasive, cost-effective tool for assessing thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis. In a study with 18 participants, its measurements were compared to Cobb's method. Inter- and intra-rater reliability showed moderate to perfect agreement (ICC < 0.001). Validity for thoracic kyphosis was moderate and dependent on evaluator expertise, while lumbar lordosis showed weaker correlation. Kinovea proves useful for clinical and research-based postural assessments

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Imran amjad, PHD

CONTACT

[email protected]

9233224390125

Muhammad Asif javed, MS-PT

CONTACT

[email protected]

923224209422

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Riphah International University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2025
Primary completion: 2025
Study completion: 2025
First posted: Apr 24, 2025
Registry last updated: Apr 24, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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