The effect of game-based intervention on locomotor skills of female students aged 9–11 years with flat foot

Locomotor skills (LS) are an essential part of fundamental movement skills (FMS) that various factors such as lower limb deformities and proper training can affect the development of these skills. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of game-based intervention on LS of female students with flat foot.

To conduct this study, 18 female students aged 9–11 years with flat foot were selected as a convenience sampling. Then they were randomly divided in two control and experimental groups. The experimental group (EG) played a series of selected games for 6 weeks with the aim of improving LS and flat foot. Before and after the intervention, the flat foot of all participants was measured with the STAHELI index. In addition, the pre-test and post-test of the Test of Gross Motor Development second edition (TGMD-2) were taken.

The results of the paired-samples t test showed a significant difference between the LS mean score of pre-test and post-test of the EG and that this difference was not significant in the CG (t_EG = 4.79,p_EG = .001;t_CG = 1.38, p_CG = .205). In addition, an independent samples t -test showed that the LS mean score of the the EG increased significantly compared to the CG in the post-test (t = 2.54, p = 0.022). Furthermore, regarding the flat foot score (FFS), the paired t test did not show any significant difference between pre-test and post-test of any groups (t_EG = .539, p_EG = .604; t_CG = 1.41, p_CG = .196).

A game-based intervention improved the LS of 9–11 year-old female students with flat foot.