Limited Physical Literacy Outcomes in Singapore Children: Implications for Public
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Adequate physical literacy (PL) in children is a potential preventive measure against non-communicable diseases. Direct measurement of PL is often absent in population-wide studies, particularly in East and Southeast Asia. We assessed PL and associated individual-and environmental-level factors in Singapore children. Methods: 726 participants (373 boys, 353 girls; age: 11.0±0.2 years) from a birth cohort study (GUSTO) completed a self-administered questionnaire in the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy Second Edition (CAPL-2) to assess affective and cognitive domains of PL. A subset of 360 children (187 boys, 173 girls) completed a modified fitness test-battery to assess physical competence. Chi-square tests of independence compared sex and ethnicity differences in PL scores. A modified three-domain composite Overall PL score was derived.
Pearson's correlation assessed PL scores against self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) duration. Regression analysis examined associations of socio-economic status (SES) with PL, adjusting for sex, ethnicity, and MVPA.
Results: 72.8% of children were classified within the lower category bins of the modifiedOverall PL scoring framework. Self-reported MVPA duration was positively associated with modified Overall PL score (r(358)=0.23, p=0.01). After adjustment, the regression model revealed that household income was not associated with modified Overall PL scores (all p>0.05), while higher maternal education remained associated with higher scores (all p<0.01).
Conclusion:Low levels of PL observed in Singapore school children warrant concern for public health and disease prevention. These findings, alongside similarities in educational systems, cultural influences, and socioeconomic factors shared with countries within the region, highlight an urgent need to prioritize physical activity and PL in children across Asian contexts.
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BibTeX
@article{tay2026limited,
title = {{Limited Physical Literacy Outcomes in Singapore Children: Implications for Public}},
author = {Vanes Ling Li Tay and Shawnda Morrison and Natarajan Padmapriya and Jonathan Y. Bernard and Falk Müller-Riemenschneider and Yung Seng Lee and Yap Seng Chong and Fabian Yap and Johan Gunnar Eriksson and Jason Kai Wei Lee},
journal = {Journal of Exercise Science and Fitness},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1016/j.jesf.2026.200517},
url = {https://inserm.hal.science/inserm-05740559v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Limited Physical Literacy Outcomes in Singapore Children: Implications for Public
AU - Vanes Ling Li Tay
AU - Shawnda Morrison
AU - Natarajan Padmapriya
AU - Jonathan Y. Bernard
AU - Falk Müller-Riemenschneider
AU - Yung Seng Lee
AU - Yap Seng Chong
AU - Fabian Yap
AU - Johan Gunnar Eriksson
AU - Jason Kai Wei Lee
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/07
JO - Journal of Exercise Science and Fitness
DO - 10.1016/j.jesf.2026.200517
UR - https://inserm.hal.science/inserm-05740559v1
AB - Background/Objectives: Adequate physical literacy (PL) in children is a potential preventive measure against non-communicable diseases. Direct measurement of PL is often absent in population-wide studies, particularly in East and Southeast Asia. We assessed PL and associated individual-and environmental-level factors in Singapore children. Methods: 726 participants (373 boys, 353 girls; age: 11.0±0.2 years) from a birth cohort study (GUSTO) completed a self-administered questionnaire in the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy Second Edition (CAPL-2) to assess affective and cognitive domains of PL. A subset of 360 children (187 boys, 173 girls) completed a modified fitness test-battery to assess physical competence. Chi-square tests of independence compared sex and ethnicity differences in PL scores. A modified three-domain composite Overall PL score was derived. Pearson's correlation assessed PL scores against self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) duration. Regression analysis examined associations of socio-economic status (SES) with PL, adjusting for sex, ethnicity, and MVPA. Results: 72.8% of children were classified within the lower category bins of the modifiedOverall PL scoring framework. Self-reported MVPA duration was positively associated with modified Overall PL score (r(358)=0.23, p=0.01). After adjustment, the regression model revealed that household income was not associated with modified Overall PL scores (all p>0.05), while higher maternal education remained associated with higher scores (all p<0.01). Conclusion:Low levels of PL observed in Singapore school children warrant concern for public health and disease prevention. These findings, alongside similarities in educational systems, cultural influences, and socioeconomic factors shared with countries within the region, highlight an urgent need to prioritize physical activity and PL in children across Asian contexts.
SN - 1728-869X
SN - 2226-5104
ER -