How childhood motor skills, physical literacy, and social support shape young adult physical activity: a structural equation modelling approach

Physical activity is influenced by a range of physical, psychological, and social factors. While motor competence has traditionally been considered a prime determinant of physical activity, the concept of physical literacy offers a broader framework that also incorporates motivational, cognitive, and affective factors. At present, limited research has examined how childhood experiences, motor competence, physical literacy, and social support jointly contribute to physical activity in young adulthood. A cross-sectional online survey was completed in 2341 young adults aged 16–30 years. Participants reported on their current physical activity, motor competence, physical literacy, and social support, as well as retrospective childhood experiences (grade 3/4) of physical activity, motor competence, and social support. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to examine the relationships among all variables. Childhood motor competence was strongly associated with motor competence in young adulthood. Both childhood and young adult motor competence were positively associated with physical literacy in young adulthood, while physical literacy, in turn, showed a strong positive association with young adult physical activity. Childhood social support was positively associated with childhood physical activity and young adult social support. The overall pattern of findings suggests that physical literacy, and its constituent factors, may provide a useful framework for understanding how childhood experiences link to physical activity in young adulthood. While motor competence remains important, physical literacy was found to be more strongly associated with physical activity in young adulthood and may help explain how early-life experiences connect to later physical activity behaviour. These findings suggest that public health initiatives aimed at promoting physical activity now and in the future could benefit from not only addressing motor skills, but also physical literacy elements and supportive social environments.