The Child Focused Injury Risk Screening Tool (ChildFIRST) - Normative Values, Correlations, and Sex Differences for a group of Children aged 8-12.

Childhood obesity and physical inactivity are growing problems across Canada, so the concept of physical literacy is used to promote physical activity (PA) participation in children. When children increase their PA participation, their exposure to musculoskeletal injury is also increased, but the concepts of physical literacy do not address injury prevention concepts. The Child Focused Injury Risk Screening Tool (ChildFIRST) is a novel process-based assessment of movement competence and injury risk for children aged 8-12 years of age. The ChildFIRST has 10 movement skills with 4 evaluation criteria for each movement. The ChildFIRST has validity and reliability evidence, but no normative data. The purpose of this study is to establish norms and trends in the 8-12 age group. 

A cross-sectional design was used to evaluate 146 participants aged 8-12 years. There were 3 modes for participation, in-person, live online evaluation, or video upload. Participants viewed a demonstration of the movement skills. After the a demonstration, the child performed the movement until all movements were completed. 

All movements were normally distributed except running.  No significant differences between males and females were identified except for the single leg sideways hop and hold. Higher levels of PA participation were positively associated with higher scores on the ChildFIRST. Higher BMI was negatively associated with lower scores on the vertical jump and bodyweight squat movement.

This is the first study to present normative data for the ChildFIRST. The findings are support the utility of the ChildFIRST in the 8-12 age group. The ChildFIRST demonstrated the ability to distinguish between higher and lower levels of movement competence. Children who reported higher weekly PA levels scored higher on the ChildFIRST. The normative data in this study can be used by physical education teachers, clinicians, and other users to compare individual data to scores on the ChildFIRST.