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A longitudinal study of gross motor coordination and weight status in children
Eva D'Hondt1, Benedicte Deforche, Ilse Gentier
1Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium; Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium.
Insights
Children with lower gross motor coordination skills are more likely to gain excess weight, and higher weight status hinders motor skills development. Physical activity did not mediate this relationship. These findings highlight a reciprocal link between weight and motor skills in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Childhood Obesity Research
Background:
- Childhood weight status and gross motor coordination are crucial developmental aspects.
- Understanding the longitudinal relationship between these factors is essential for effective interventions.
- The potential mediating role of physical activity requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the interrelationship between children's weight status and gross motor coordination over time.
- To assess if baseline physical activity mediates the relationship between weight status and motor coordination.
- To investigate the bidirectional influence between body mass index (BMI) z-scores and motor coordination.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study with 2517 children (5-13 years) at baseline and 754 at follow-up.
- Assessed BMI z-scores, gross motor coordination (Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder - KTK), and physical activity (PA) via questionnaire.
- Analyzed reciprocal relationships using multiple linear mixed models to test mediation pathways.
Main Results:
- Lower baseline KTK performance predicted increased BMI z-scores over time.
- Higher baseline BMI z-scores predicted decreased KTK performance over time.
- Baseline physical activity was not significantly associated with initial KTK performance or BMI z-scores, indicating no mediating effect.
Conclusions:
- A significant reciprocal relationship exists between children's weight status and gross motor coordination.
- Weight status negatively impacts motor coordination, and motor coordination deficits negatively impact weight status.
- Interventions should address this bidirectional link for effective prevention and management strategies.
Objective:
This longitudinal study investigated the interrelationship between children's weight status and level of gross motor coordination over time, taking baseline physical activity (PA) into account as a possible mediator.
Methods:
Baseline measurements were collected in 2517 children (5-13 years, 52.8% boys), including (1) body height and weight to calculate body mass index (BMI) z-scores, (2) gross motor coordination using the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK), (3) total PA estimated by a questionnaire. At follow-up, 754 participants (7-13 years, 50.8% boys) underwent anthropometric and KTK assessments again. Two hypothesized partial mediation models (i.e., KTK ↔ PA ↔ BMI z-score) were examined by multiple linear mixed models.
Results:
A lower performance on the KTK at baseline significantly predicted an increase in BMI z-score (B = -0.003, P = 0.027). Conversely, a higher baseline BMI z-score also predicted a decrease in KTK performance (B = -1.792, P < 0.001). Since total PA at baseline was not significantly related to initial KTK performance (B = 1.628, P = 0.134) nor BMI z-score (B = 25.312, P = 0.130), its mediating effect was not further explored.
Conclusions:
Our results strongly suggest that children's weight status negatively influences future level of gross motor coordination, and vice versa. Prevention and intervention initiatives should consider this reciprocal causal relationship across developmental time.
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