Associate Professor
HPER 331
865-974-3340
kipwebster@utk.edu
COURSES TAUGHT
| KNS 380 | Lifespan Motor Development |
| KNS 290 | Principles of Movement Control and Skill Learning |
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Dr. Webster’s research interests are focused on assessment, interventions, and policies related to fundamental motor skills and physical activity behaviors in pediatric populations. Her research utilizes evidence-based programs that target positive health-related outcomes, such as reducing childhood obesity and increasing physical activity, fitness, motor skill competency, and psychological variables related to health in school and home settings. Her recent research has examined the relationship between physical activity/ motor skill competency to screen-time behaviors, academic achievement, as well as early childhood education center policies that directly relate to improving pediatric health. She has received over $10.5 million in external and internal funding to support her work in pediatric health.
EDUCATION
| PhD | Auburn University | Exercise Science |
| MeD | Auburn University | Exercise Science |
| BS | Berry College | Psychology |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Prior to joining the faculty at UTK, Dr. Webster was an Assistant/Associate Professor in the Institute of Public and Preventive Health at Augusta University and an Assistant Professor in the School of Kinesiology at Louisiana State University. At Augusta University, she received the Louis K. Bell Research Award for Augusta University (2022) and the Faculty Research Award in the College of Education (2020). At LSU, she served as a Fulbright Scholar in 2017 (Czech Republic) and received the TAF Undergraduate Teaching Award (2018). Dr. Webster is actively involved in the International Motor Development Research Consortium (I-MDRC) and currently serves as the Secretary. As well as the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA) where she serves as Communication Director. Dr. Webster is an Associate Member of the Healthy Weight Research Network and a Research Fellow of SHAPE America (2024).
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Martins, C., Webster, E.K., Romo-Perez, V., Duncan, M., Lemos, L.F., Staiano, A., Okely, A., Magistro, D., Carlevaro, F., Bardid, F., Magno, F., Nobre, G., Estevan, I., Mota, J., King, N., Robinson, L.E., Lenoir, M., Quan, M., Valentini, N., Dehkordi, P.S., Cross, P., Jones, R., Henrique, R.S., Salami, S., Chen, S., Diao, Y., Bandeira, P.R., & Barnett, L.M. (2024). Sex differences in 3-to-5 year-old children’s motor competence: A pooled cross-sectional analysis of 6241 children. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 34, e14651. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14651
Reilly, J.J., Andrew, R., Abdeta, C., Azevedo, L.B., Aguilar-Farias, N., Barak, S., Bardid, F., Bizzozero-Peroni, B., Brazo-Sayavera, J., Cagas, J.Y., Carrizales-Ramos, R., Chelly, M.-S., Christiansen, L.B., Djordjic, V.D., Draper, C.E., El Hamdouchi, A., Fares, E.-J., Gába A., Heskethm K.D., Hossain, M.S., Huang, W., Jáuregui, A., Juvekar, S.K., Kuzik, N., Larouche, R., Lee, E.-Y., Levi, S., Löf, M., Loney, T., López Gil, J.F., Mäestu, E., Manyanga, T., Martins, C., Mendoza-Muñoz, M., Morrison, S.A., Munambah, N., Mwase-Vuma, T.W., Naidoo, R., Ocansey, R., Okely, A.D., Oluwayomi, A. Paudel, S., Poh, B.K., Ribeiro, E.H., Silva, D.A.S., Shahril, M.R., Smith, M., Staiano, A.E., Standage, M., Subedi, N., Tanaka, C., Tang, H.K., Thivel, D., Tremblay, M.S., Uzicanin, E., Vlachopoulos, D., Webster, E.K., Widyastari, D.A., Zembura, P., & Aubert, S. (in press). Improving national and international surveillance of movement behaviours in childhood and adolescence: an international modified Delphi Study. Sports Medicine.
Mwase-Vuma, T.W., Janssen, X., Florindo, A.A., Staiano, A.E., Okely, A.D., Pham, B.N., Draper, C.E., Tanaka, C., Koh, D., Webster, E.K., Hongyan, G., Tang, H.K., Chong, K.H., Löf, M., Tremblay, M.S., Hossain, M.S., Munambah, N., Cross, P., Chathurangana, P.W.P., & Reilly, J.J. (in press). Estimating the global total physical activity guideline using step-counting among 3-4-year-olds: Evidence from SUNRISE pilot studies from 17 countries. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2023-0711
Coe, D.P., Post, E.M., Fitzhugh, E.C., Fairbrother, J.T., & Webster, E.K. (2024). Associations among actual motor competence, perceived motor competence, physical activity, and health-related physical fitness in 10-15 year old youth. Children, 11, 260. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11020260
Makaruk, H., Webster, E.K., Porter, J., Makaruk, B., Bodasińska, A., Zieliński, J., Tomaszewski, P., Nogal, M., Szyszka, P., Starzak, M., Śliwa, M., Banaś, M., Biegajło, M., Chaliburda, A., Gierczuk, D., Suchecki, B., Molik, B., & Sadowski, J. (2024). The fundamental motor skill proficiency among Polish primary school-aged children: A nationally representative surveillance study. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 27(4), 243-249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2023.12.007
Makaruk, H., Porter, J.M., Webster, E.K., Makaruk, B., Bodasińska, A., Zieliński, J., Tomaszewski, P., Nogal, M., Szyszka, P., Starzak, M., Śliwa, M., Banaś, M., Biegajło, M., Chaliburda, A., Gierczuk, D., Suchecki, B., Molik, B., & Sadowski, J. (2023). The FUS Test: A Promising Tool for Evaluating Fundamental Motor Skills in Children and Adolescents. BMC Public Health, 23, 1912. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16843-w
Martins, C.L., Romo-Perez, V., Webster, E.K., Duncan, M., Lemos, L.F., Staiano, A.E., Okely, A.D., Magistro, D., Carlevaro, F., Bardid, F., Magno, F., Nobre, G., Estevan, I., Mota, J., Ning, K., Robinson, L.E., Lenoir, M., Quan, M., Valentini, N.C., Cross, P., Jones, R., Henrique, R., Chen, S-T., Diao, Y., Bandeira, P., & Barnett, L.M. (2024). Motor competence and body mass index in the preschool years: a pooled analysis of over 5545 children from eight countries. Sports Medicine, 54, 505-516. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01929-7
Maeng, H.*, Shapiro, D.R., Webster, E.K., & Kwon, H. (2023). Impact of an Online Rater Training on Scoring Accuracy of Two Skills on the Test of Gross Motor Development-3 Among Children With Developmental Disabilities: A Pilot Study. Journal of Motor Learning and Development, 11, 462-479. https://doi.org/10.1123/jmld.2023-0010.
Webster, E.K., Kepper, M.M., Saha, S., Beyl, R.A., Kracht, C.L., St. Romain, J., & Staiano, A.E. (2023). Painted playgrounds for preschoolers’ physical activity and fundamental motor skill improvement: A randomized controlled pilot trial of preliminary feasibility and effectiveness. BMC Pediatrics, 23:466. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-023-04260-2
Button, A.M., Webster, E.K., Kracht, C.L., Hendrick, C., Okely, A.D., Chong, K.H., Cross, P., & Staiano, A.E. (2023). Validation of remote assessment of preschool children’s anthropometrics and motor skills. Frontiers in Digital Health, 5, 1168618. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2023.1168618
Staiano, A.E., Saha, S., Beyl, R.A., Kracht, C.L., Newton, Jr., R.L., & Webster, E.K. (2023). Parental engagement and implementation fidelity in a mHealth motor skills intervention for young children. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2023.2235394.
Pitchford, E.A., Leung, W.C.W., & Webster, E.K. (2022). Associations of fundamental motor skill competence, isometric plank, and modified pull-ups in 5-year old children: An observational analysis of 2012 NHANES NYFS. PLoS One, 17(10), e0276842. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0276842
Copetti, F., Valentini, N.C., Deslandes, A.C., & Webster, E.K. (2022). Pedagogical support for the Test of Gross Motor Development – 3 for children with neurotypical development and with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Validity for an animated mobile application. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 27(5), 483-501. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2021.1906218
Kariippanon, K.E., Chong, K.H., Janssen, X., Tomaz, S.A., Ribeiro, E.H.C., Munambah, N., Chan, C.H.S., Chathurangana, P.W.P., Draper, C.E., El Hamdouchi, A., Florindo, A.A., Guan, H., Ha, A.S., Hossain, M.S., Kim, D.H., Kim, T.V., Koh, D.C.L., Lof, M., Pham, B.N., Poh, B.K., Reilly, J.J., Staiano, A.E., Suherman, A., Tanaka, C., Tang, H.K., Tremblay, M.S., Webster, E.K., Wickramasinghe, V.P., Wong, J.E., & Okely, A.D. (2022). Levels and correlates of objectively measured sedentary time in young children: SUNRISE pilot study results from 19 countries. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 54(7), 1123-1130. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002886
Staiano, A.E., Kracht, C.L., Beyl, R.A., Newton, R.L., Jr., Hendrick, C.A., Viverito, M., & Webster, E.K.† (2022). mHealth intervention for motor skills: A randomized controlled trial. Pediatrics, 149(5), e2021053362. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-053362
Martins, C.L., Webster, E.K., Bandeira, P.F.R., & Staiano, A.E. (2022). Identifying fundamental motor skills building blocks in preschool children from Brazil and the United States: A network analysis. Journal of Motor Learning and Development, 10(1), 96-115. https://doi.org/10.1123/jmld.2021-0022
Maïano, C., Morin, A.J.S., April, J., Webster, E.K., Hue, O., Dugas, C., & Ulrich, D.A. (2022). Psychometric properties of a French version of the Test of Gross Motor Development – Third Edition (TGMD-3): A bifactor structural equation modeling approach. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 26(1), 51-62. https://doi.org/10.1080/1091367X.2021.1946541
Barnett, L.M., Webster, E.K., Hulteen, R., De Meester, A., Lenoir, M., Pesce, C., Valentini, N., Getchell, N., Lopes, V., Robinson, L., Brian, A., & Rodrigues, L.P. (2022). Through the looking glass: A systematic review of longitudinal evidence, providing new insight for motor competence and health. Sports Medicine, 52, 875-920. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01516-8