Motor Competence Assessment in Low-Income Brazilian Children: Factorial Structure and Concurrent Validity

In low-income contexts, limited validity evidence hinders the selection of valid and reliable measures for assessing motor competence. This study evaluated the factorial structure and construct validity of the Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) in low-income Brazilian children and compared it with the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK) and the supine-to-stand (STS) task. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 287 children (148 girls, 6.0–11.99 years) from three schools in a socioeconomically vulnerable municipality in northeast Brazil. Participants completed MCA and KTK tests and the STS task under standardized procedures. Confirmatory factor analysis tested one-, two-, and three-factor MCA models. Partial correlations, adjusted for age and sex, determined the concurrent validity among the measures. The two-factor model (combining stability and locomotor into one factor and manipulative into another) showed the most acceptable fit for the MCA. MCA subtests correlated strongly with KTK ( r  = .59–.80), whereas correlations with STS were low to moderate ( r  = −.23 to − .56), indicating partly distinct constructs. Overall, the MCA demonstrated valid measurement with a robust two-factor structure, capturing complementary facets of motor competence alongside the KTK and STS. These findings endorse its application in low-resource schools for screening and monitoring motor development, providing a practical tool for researchers and practitioners working with vulnerable populations.