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Relationship between motor skill and body mass index in 5- to 10-year-old children

Eva D Hondt1, Benedicte Deforche, Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij

  • 1Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences in the Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium. eva.dhondt@ugent.be

Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly : APAQ
|February 28, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Obese children exhibit lower gross and fine motor skills compared to normal-weight peers. This impacts balance, ball skills, and manual dexterity in children aged 5-10 years.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric health
  • Motor development
  • Childhood obesity

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
  • Motor skill development is crucial for overall child development and physical activity.
  • Previous research suggests a potential link between excess weight and motor deficits in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare gross and fine motor skills between normal-weight, overweight, and obese children aged 5-10 years.
  • To identify specific motor skill domains affected by weight status in children.

Main Methods:

  • 117 children aged 5-10 years were classified by Body Mass Index (BMI) into normal-weight, overweight, or obese categories.
  • The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) was used to assess motor skills.
  • Statistical analyses were performed to compare motor skill scores across weight groups.

Main Results:

  • Obese children showed significantly poorer scores in balance (p < .01) and ball skills (p < .05) compared to normal-weight and overweight children.
  • A trend towards lower manual dexterity was observed in obese children (p < .10).
  • Overall motor skill level was found to be lower in obese children.

Conclusions:

  • Obesity in children is associated with deficits in gross and fine motor skills.
  • Interventions targeting childhood obesity may benefit from incorporating motor skill development.
  • Further research is needed to explore the causal relationship and long-term implications.

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