Developmental Coordination Disorder and Early Childhood Trajectories of Physical Activity

Area of Science:

• Pediatric neurodevelopment
• Motor control and learning
• Public health and physical activity

Background:

• Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition impacting motor skills.
• Children with DCD often experience deficits in physical activity (PA), but the emergence of this gap is not well understood.
• Understanding the onset and persistence of PA deficits in DCD is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To longitudinally examine device-assessed physical activity (PA) trajectories in children with and without DCD.
• To identify when and how PA differences emerge between children with DCD and typically developing peers.
• To analyze PA volume and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) from ages 4 to 8 years.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study of 535 children, assessed annually from ages 4-8.
• Classification into probable DCD (<6th percentile), at-risk for DCD (6th-16th percentile), and typically developing (>16th percentile) based on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition.
• Objective assessment of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and PA volume using ActiGraph accelerometers; analysis via linear mixed-effects models.

Main Results:

• Children with probable DCD and those at-risk exhibited significantly lower MVPA compared to typically developing children.
• A deficit in overall PA volume was marginally evident only in the probable DCD group.
• The rate of change in PA did not differ between groups, indicating a consistent deficit across early childhood.

Conclusions:

• Young children with DCD experience a persistent deficit in MVPA throughout early childhood.
• Early interventions focusing on motor skills and PA are recommended to mitigate these deficits.
• Addressing motor difficulties early can promote healthier activity trajectories for children with DCD.