PPubMed5 Dec 2025

Validation of FUNMOVES: A reliable tool for assessing motor skills in Spanish schoolchildren Spanish FUNMOVES

Pablo Lizoain, Diana Rodriguez Romero, Celeste Reyes-Vivanco, Nick Preston, Lucy H. Eddy, Liam J. B. Hill, Sara Magallón, Martín Martínez, Jindong Chang

Abstract

From a psychometric perspective, Rasch analysis confirmed that FUNMOVES exhibits a unidimensional structure, supporting its theoretical coherence as a global measure of motor competence. This unidimensionality implies that the tool assesses a single latent trait, which is desirable for screening purposes. However, the person separation index (PSI ≈ 0.52) was relatively low, indicating limited ability to distinguish between different levels of motor proficiency, particularly in the mid-range of the ability spectrum. While this may constrain its use for fine-grained diagnostic classification, it

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FUNMOVES is a valid, reliable Spanish screening tool that moderately detects motor coordination difficulties in schoolchildren (AUC up to 0.81).

What’s new

i.Adapted and validated FUNMOVES for the Spanish school context
ii.Demonstrated psychometric properties using Rasch analysis (unidimensionality, PSI)
iii.Evaluated diagnostic accuracy against the MABC‑2 battery (AUC, sensitivity, specificity)
iv.Provided teacher manuals and supplementary materials for implementation

How they did it

A cross‑sectional study with intentional sampling recruited 243 Spanish primary‑school children whose parents gave consent. PE teachers administered the Spanish version of FUNMOVES, and a subsample of 60 children also completed the MABC‑2 assessment for concurrent validity. Rasch analysis and ROC analysis were performed to assess psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy.

What they found

243 participants assessed (mean age 9.5 years, 55.14% boys)
Person Separation Index after rescoring = 0.52
AUC under strict MABC‑2 criterion = 0.78 (95% CI 0.64‑0.90); optimal cut‑off 17th percentile, 80% sensitivity, 68% specificity
AUC under broad criterion = 0.81 (95% CI 0.69‑0.92); optimal cut‑off 35.5th percentile, 82% sensitivity, 73% specificity
Overall accuracy = 0.71 (95% CI 0.58‑0.82); false positives = 11, false negatives = 3

Caveats

✕Modest sample size and single‑cohort design limit generalizability
✕PSI values (≈0.52) are below the conventional 0.70 threshold, reducing precision for ranking abilities
✕Study focused on a narrow age range and specific Spanish region
✕Tool is designed for binary screening, not fine‑grained diagnostic classification

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