Abstract
<jats:p>Background and purpose The quality of fundamental movement during childhood plays a decisive role in long-term musculoskeletal health and physical competence. Early school years represent a transitional developmental phase characterized by rapid growth and neuromuscular adaptation. Subtle movement asymmetries may emerge during this period and often remain undetected during routine physical education. Functional movement screening provides a structured method for identifying such limitations at an early stage. Purpose: to examine functional movement screening outcomes and the prevalence of musculoskeletal asymmetry among school boys aged 10–12 years. Material and methods A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed. The sample consisted of 130 school boys aged 10–12 years recruited from two schools in Kerala, India. Functional movement quality was assessed using the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), comprising seven standardized movement tasks. Bilateral components were analysed to identify musculoskeletal asymmetry. Descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were applied. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results The mean total FMS score was 15.39 ± 2.04, indicating generally acceptable movement quality. No significant age-related differences were observed in total FMS scores, F (2,127) = 1.98, p = 0.143. Musculoskeletal asymmetry was present in 66.2% of participants, most frequently in rotary stability (38.5%) and shoulder mobility (22.3%). However, asymmetry did not significantly reduce total FMS scores. Conclusions Functional movement quality remained relatively stable across ages 10–12. Musculoskeletal asymmetry was common but not reflected in composite screening scores. Bilateral interpretation of movement tasks is recommended within school-based physical education programs to support balanced motor development.</jats:p>