Associations between weight status and motor coordination during childhood
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Ordinarily the relationship between obesity, physical activity (PA) and motor coordination (MC) is analyzed having in mind that low levels of PA cause obesity and low MC. But MC was found to be predictor of both PA (Lopes et al. 2011) and adiposity (Lopes et al. 2011). The purpose of this study is to analyze the association between MC and weight status. Methods Participants were 6,625 children (boys n = 3,344; girls n= 3,281), aged 6 - 10 years. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from height and weight. MC was evaluated using the body coordination test (KTK). A factorial ANOVA was conducted using BMI as dependent variable. A binary logistic regression using two weight status categories as the dependent variable was performed. The odds ratios were calculated for weight status and MC tertiles separately in boys and girls, controlling for age. Results BMI significantly increases across age groups (F (5, 6224) = 50.59; p < 0,001). Children with higher MC showed lower BMI levels (F (10, 6224) = 4.53; p < 0.001). The differences in BMI among MC tertile groups became larger across age (F (10, 6224) = 4.53; p < 0.001). Girls in the first and second tertiles of MC distribution had respectively 3.47 and 1.63 more chances of being overweight/obese than girls in the third tertile. Boys in the first and second MC tertiles had respectively 3.90 and 2.08 more chances of being overweight/obese than boys in the first tertile. Discussion The findings show that children with lower MC had higher BMI than children with higher MC, and this difference became larger across age. The risk of being overweight/obese is higher in children with lower MC. We suggest that the relationship between MC, BMI and PA changes with age. At very young ages, till 4 - 5 years, the levels of PA are extremely important to MC and skills development and to weight control (Bürgi et al. 2011). During subse- quent years and until puberty, children’s weight status across time may be indirectly affected (from the direct result of PA and fitness levels) via the development of MC throughout childhood. Children who continue to develop higher levels of MC throughout childhood will be able to successfully engage in more movement opportunities promoting a healthy weight status (Stodden, Goodway et al. 2008).
