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Gross motor skill performance in a sample of overweight and non-overweight preschool children
Milena Morano1, Dario Colella, Margherita Caroli
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy. milenamorano@gmail.com
Insights
Overweight preschool children exhibit lower gross motor skills compared to their non-overweight peers. Childhood obesity negatively impacts motor development, highlighting the need for targeted physical activity interventions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Motor Development
- Childhood Obesity
Background:
- Overweight and obesity are prevalent global health concerns in children.
- Gross motor skills are crucial for physical activity participation and overall development.
- Limited research exists on gross motor skill performance in overweight preschool children in Southern Italy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess gross motor skill performance in overweight versus non-overweight preschool children.
- To investigate potential gender-based differences in motor skill performance.
- To explore the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and motor skill development.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 38 boys and 42 girls (aged 4.5 ± 0.5 years) was categorized as overweight or non-overweight using IOTF BMI cut-offs.
- The Test of Gross Motor Development assessed locomotor and object-control skills.
- Analysis included ANOVA and Pearson's correlations to compare groups and examine BMI relationships.
Main Results:
- Overweight children demonstrated significantly lower performance in both locomotor and object-control skills compared to non-overweight children.
- No significant gender differences were observed in motor skill performance.
- Strong negative correlations were found between BMI and gross motor development quotient (GMDQ), and motor skill scores.
Conclusions:
- Childhood obesity is associated with impaired gross motor development.
- Overweight preschool children exhibit deficits in fundamental movement skills.
- Interventions should focus on promoting physical activity to improve weight management and motor skills in overweight children.
Objective:
The aim of the study was to examine the gross motor skill performance of overweight and non-overweight preschool children from South of Italy, and to investigate possible differences by gender.
Methods:
Participants were 38 boys and 42 girls (4.5 ± 0.5 yr) categorized as overweight (n = 38) and non-overweight (n = 42), according to the IOTF body mass index (BMI) cut-off points. The Test of Gross Motor Development was used to assess seven locomotor skills (run, gallop, hop, leap, horizontal jump, skip and slide) and five object-control skills (two-hand strike, stationary bounce, catch, kick and overhand throw). The raw, standard and percentile scores and the Gross Motor Development Quotient (GMDQ) were calculated for each participant. ANOVA 2 (gender) x 2 (group) was conducted on the subtest standard scores and the GMDQ.
Results:
No differences in performance were found between boys and girls on the subscale standard scores and the GMDQ. Significant main effects (p < 0.001) were reported for group on the GMDQ, and the standard scores for locomotor and object-control skills, with overweight children reporting lower movement competence than their counterparts. Pearson's correlations revealed relationships (p < 0.001) between BMI and locomotor (r = -0.54) and object-control (r = 20.48) skills, and between BMI and GMDQ (r = 20.54).
Conclusions:
Findings indicate that childhood obesity might have adverse effects on gross motor development. Overweight participants showed poorer performance on locomotor and object-control tasks than their non-overweight peers. Interventions to promote physical activity in overweight children should be directed towards achieving a healthy weight and motor skill improvement.
