In terms of pathways, our study found strong evidence for a negative association between weight status and motor competence (MC). There was strong positive evidence for a pathway from MC to fitness and indeterminate evidence for the reverse. There was indeterminate evidence for a MC to physical activity (PA) pathway and no evidence for the reverse. There was insufficient evidence between MC and perceived MC.

Conclusions on mediation outcomes are weakened by the predominantly cross-sectional nature of the available evidence and the limited studies, although there was strong positive evidence for the fitness-mediating MC/PA pathway in both directions. There was indeterminate evidence for the perceived MC-mediated pathway from PA to MC and no evidence for the reverse.

The field needs more robust longitudinal and experimental studies to test the Stodden et al. model.