Construction and Preliminary Validation of a Multidimensional Physical Health Assessment System for Preschool Children in China

Early childhood is the foundational stage of lifelong health management and is associated with long-term physical and developmental outcomes. Yet health problems are emerging at increasingly younger ages, while existing assessment systems remain fragmented, typically emphasizing motor performance while relegating clinical health indicators. This study developed an assessment system specified as a formative composite index, incorporating clinical health indicators across three core dimensions: body morphology, physical fitness, and clinical health, comprising 13 indicators weighted using the Analytic Hierarchy Process. The index was evaluated in 1462 children aged 3–7 years in Shandong Province, China. The weighting scheme showed good consistency, and the indicators exhibited low multicollinearity. Structural validity was evaluated using a MIMIC model, and deletion sensitivity analyses indicated general stability across indicators. Overall, the results provide preliminary validation for the assessment system; further refinement and broader validation are needed.