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Psychomotor coordination and intelligence in childhood and health in adulthood--testing the system integrity

Catharine R Gale1, G David Batty, Cyrus Cooper

  • 1MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of Southampton, United Kingdom. crg@mrc.soton.ac.uk

Psychosomatic Medicine
|June 2, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Better childhood psychomotor coordination is linked to improved adult health outcomes, including reduced psychological distress, poorer self-rated health, and obesity. This protective effect appears independent of childhood intelligence and other factors.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Public Health
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Childhood intelligence and psychomotor coordination are key developmental factors.
  • Understanding their long-term health implications is crucial for public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between childhood intelligence and psychomotor coordination with adult psychological distress, self-rated health, and obesity.
  • To explore psychomotor coordination as a potential mediator of the intelligence-health relationship, possibly reflecting 'system integrity'.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of two large British birth cohorts: the 1958 National Child Development Survey and the 1970 British Cohort Study.
  • Assessment of psychomotor coordination and intelligence in childhood (ages 10-11).
  • Self-reported health status (psychological distress, self-rated health, obesity) in early adulthood (early 30s).

Main Results:

  • Improved childhood psychomotor coordination was significantly associated with reduced odds of adult psychological distress, fair/poor self-rated health, and obesity.
  • These associations remained significant after adjusting for childhood intelligence and other covariates.
  • Higher childhood intelligence was also linked to better adult health outcomes, independent of psychomotor coordination.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood psychomotor coordination demonstrates a protective effect on certain adult health outcomes.
  • Further research into central nervous system efficiency markers may elucidate the 'system integrity' concept linking intelligence and health.
Abstract

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