Table 2 Comparison of anthropometric parameters, physical fitness, basic motor competences and executive function between 4 and 5-year-old children (one-year difference)

Anthropometric parameters

Height (cm)

107.90

106.70

109.09

5.393

4.870

5.916

2.791

< 0.001

Weigh (kg)

19.25

18.42

20.08

1.756

1.505

2.008

1.125

< 0.001

Body Mass Index (kg/m²)

16.45

15.97

16.93

-0.159

-0.377

0.058

-0.114

0.148

Waist circumference (cm)

54.3

53.11

55.52

0.904

0.294

1.513

0.368

0.004

Waist-to-height ratio

0.50

0.49

0.51

-0.016

-0.022

-0.009

-0.702

< 0.001

Physical fitness

Handgrip strenght (kg)

8.22

7.75

8.69

-0.118

-0.473

0.237

-0.068

0.507

Standing long jump (cm)

87.09

81.61

92.57

9.036

1.889

16.184

0.439

0.014

Speed/Agility 4 × 10 m (s)

15.27

14.88

15.66

-0.209

-0.737

0.278

-0.163

0.368

Cardiorespiratory fitness (laps)

29.73

26.88

32.58

-1.531

-5.764

2.703

-0.145

0.470

Physical fitness (z-score)

0.11

-0.60

0.82

0.083

-0.679

0.846

0.045

0.826

Motor skills

Object movement subscale (8 points)

2.51

1.96

3.07

0.789

0.0.24

1.555

0.353

0.044

Self movement subscale (8 points)

3.21

2.35

4.07

0.842

0.054

1.630

0.388

0.037

MOBAK KG sum score

5.79

4.81

6.77

1.632

0.293

2.970

0.418

0.018

Executive function

“Mr. Ant”

1.77

1.59

1.95

0.669

0.369

0.970

0.868

< 0.001

“Go/No-Go”

0.64

0.59

0.70

0.120

0.054

0.187

0.667

< 0.001

“Not This”

2.37

2.24

2.50

0.188

-0.030

0.407

0.314

0.090

“Card sorting”

7.91

7.09

8.74

0.500

-0.663

1.663

0.162

0.390