Understanding the physical literacy development of 8- to 12-year-old children living with chronic medical conditions: A comprehensive, mixed methods inquiry

Background

Physical literacy is a concept used to describe the combined physical, affective and cognitive capacities facilitating an active lifestyle. Physical activity participation is essential for children living with chronic medical conditions, but knowledge of physical literacy among this group is scarce.

Methods

An explanatory, sequential mixed methods design was used to comprehensively describe the physical literacies of children with chronic medical conditions (CMCs). Participants were recruited from paediatric cardiology, respirology/cystic fibrosis, neurology, haematology and endocrinology outpatient clinics. All participants completed the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (2nd Edition), and those with higher and lower scores were invited to a semi-structured interview. A deductive-inductive thematic analysis was applied using Margaret Whitehead's conceptualization of physical literacy.

Results

Using normative strata, 80.0% of the 99 children assessed (mean age = 9.97 ± 1.3 years, 48% girls) were considered beginning or progressing in their overall physical literacy (mean score = 56.5 ± 13.8/100). Meanwhile, physical literacy informed participants' approach to new, active experiences and may have contributed to a strong sense of self. There was a significant difference between endocrinology and haematology patients on total physical literacy score (p = 0.03) but not domain scores. Participants scored high on motivation/confidence (mean = 22.9 ± 5.0/30) but obtained low physical competence (mean = 11.8 ± 5.6/30) and daily behaviour scores (n = 72, mean = 15.5 ± 7.1/30). Main themes represent salient experiences of children with CMCs within the domains of physical literacy, including their need to evaluate active contexts, self-regulate activity intensity and manage physical limitations.

Conclusions

Children with CMCs can achieve recommended levels of physical literacy without meeting normative standards for physical competence. Participants would benefit from a physical literacy intervention that targets the development of bodily self-regulation skills and risk evaluation in active settings.