Ecological validity of the PERF-FIT: correlates of active play, motor performance and motor skill-related physical fitness.

Background: Active games are important health enhancing physical activities in children with and without developmental disorders and will help children to develop fundamental motor skills, while inactivity exacerbates coordination difficulties and increases the risk of obesity. Regular engagement in active play promotes physical, social and cognitive development. It is therefore important to know if children have the capabilities for healthy behavior.

Inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability of the Performance and Fitness (PERF-FIT) test battery for children: a test for motor skill related fitness.

Background: The Performance and Fitness (PERF-FIT) test battery for children is a recently developed, valid assessment tool for measuring motor skill-related physical fitness in 5 to 12-year-old children living in low-income settings. The aim of this study was to determine: (1) inter-rater reliability and (2) test-retest reliability of the PERF-FIT in children from 3 different countries (Ghana, South Africa and the Netherlands).

Method: For inter-rater reliability 29 children, (16 boys and 13 girls, 6-10 years) were scored by 2 raters simultaneously.