Relationship between participation in leisure time physical activities and aerobic fitness in children with DCD
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Chantal Oudenampsen1, Lian Holty, Ilse Stuive
1Roessingh Research and Development (Drs Oudenampsen, Kottink, and Buurke) and Roessingh Center for Rehabilitation (Ms Holty), Enschede, the Netherlands; Centre for Human Movement Sciences (Drs Oudenampsen and Schoemaker) and Center for Rehabilitation (Drs Stuive, Reinders-Messelink, and van Weert and Ms van der Hoek), University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Rehabilitation Center "Revalidatie Friesland" (Dr Reinders-Messelink), Beetsterzwaag, the Netherlands.
Purpose:
(1) To explore participation in leisure time physical activities (LTPAs) in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) compared with children developing typically. (2) To examine the association between participation in LTPA and aerobic fitness.
Methods:
Thirty-eight children with DCD (aged 7-12 years) were age and gender matched with 38 children developing typically. Participation in LTPA was self-administered by using an activity questionnaire, and aerobic fitness was estimated using a Shuttle Run Test.
Results:
Children with DCD spent significantly less time in overall, nonorganized, and vigorous LTPA compared with children developing typically. Aerobic fitness was significantly lower for children with DCD. The best model, including age, group, and overall LTPA, explained 46.2% of the variance in aerobic fitness.
Conclusions:
Suitable physical activities should be fostered in children with DCD, who have a low participation rate and aerobic fitness level.
