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Health-related physical fitness children with severe and moderate developmental coordination disorder

Roseane O Nascimento1, Lúcio F Ferreira, Juliana B Goulardins

  • 1University Nilton Lins, Manaus, AM, Brazil; Laboratory Motor of Behavior, Physical Education and Sport School of University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Research in Developmental Disabilities
|October 1, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and their peers show similar health-related physical fitness levels. However, many children, regardless of DCD status, exhibit poor strength and muscular endurance, highlighting a need for targeted interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Child Development
  • Sports Medicine

Background:

  • Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) affects motor skills in children.
  • Understanding the physical fitness of children with DCD is crucial for intervention strategies.
  • Previous research has not extensively compared fitness levels across DCD severity in diverse populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare health-related physical fitness in children with moderate (mDCD) and severe (sDCD) DCD against children without DCD (wDCD).
  • To assess fitness components including body composition, muscle strength, endurance, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory resistance.
  • To identify fitness levels based on the Fitnessgram criteria within these groups.

Main Methods:

  • Study involved 63 children aged 6-10 years in Manaus, Brazil, diagnosed with DCD or without.
  • Participants were divided into three groups: sDCD, mDCD, and wDCD (21 children per group).
  • Health-related physical fitness was evaluated using the Fitnessgram assessment tool.

Main Results:

  • No statistically significant differences in physical fitness components were found between the sDCD, mDCD, and wDCD groups.
  • Less than half of all children, across all groups, met healthy fitness standards according to Fitnessgram criteria.
  • All groups demonstrated unsatisfactory performance in the strength and muscular endurance components.

Conclusions:

  • Children with and without DCD exhibit comparable, often suboptimal, health-related physical fitness.
  • Poor strength and muscular endurance are prevalent issues in children, irrespective of DCD diagnosis.
  • Further longitudinal research is recommended to track motor skill and fitness development in children with DCD.

Keywords:
ChildrenDCDHealth-related physical fitness

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