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Do physical fitness and motor skill performances in underweight children differ from normal weight peers? A
Yabsra Melaku Dubale1,2, Tefera Belachew3, Beyene Wondafrash3
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Public Health, Health Institute, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. yabsra.dubale@uhasselt.be.
Insights
Undernourished children show slightly lower physical fitness and motor skills compared to normal-weight peers. Regional differences exist, with Asian and African underweight children exhibiting weaker strength and specific fitness deficits.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Sports Science
- Child Development
Background:
- Undernourished children face increased mortality and infection risks.
- Impaired cognitive and physical development, including lower physical fitness and motor skills, are common in underweight children.
- This study compares the physical fitness and motor skill competence of underweight (UW) and normal-weight (NW) children aged 3-12.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a meta-analysis comparing physical fitness and motor skill competence between underweight and normal-weight children.
- To identify potential regional variations in these differences.
Main Methods:
- Systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases.
- Methodological quality assessed using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network checklist.
- Pooled standardized mean differences (SMD) calculated using random-effects meta-analyses, with subgroup analysis and GRADE assessment for evidence level.
Main Results:
- Seventeen studies on physical fitness and six on motor skills were included.
- Underweight children exhibited slightly lower physical fitness (SMD = -0.10) and motor skill competence (SMD = -0.12) compared to normal-weight peers, with very low supporting evidence.
- Asian and African underweight children showed significantly weaker strength, while Asian children had poorer anaerobic capacity and African children had less flexibility.
Conclusions:
- Underweight children generally demonstrate reduced physical fitness and motor skills compared to their normal-weight counterparts.
- Specific deficits in fitness domains were observed in underweight children from developing regions.
- Heterogeneity across studies may obscure precise differences, highlighting the need for further research.
Background:
Undernourished children are at risk of mortality and infection and tend to present with impaired cognitive and physical development with potentially lower physical fitness and motor skill competence. This meta-analysis aimed to compare the physical fitness and motor skill competence of underweight (UW) 3-12-year-old children to that of normal-weight (NW) peers of the same age.
Methods:
PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were systematically searched (last update: April 4th, 2024). The methodological quality of the studies was assessed with the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network checklist. Pooled standardized mean differences (SMD; Hedges' g) were calculated using random-effects meta-analyses. Heterogeneity was considered too high if the I-squared value exceeded 50%. Then, subgroup analysis was considered. The level of evidence was estimated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) method.
Results:
Seventeen studies were included in the meta-analysis on physical fitness, while six focused on motor skills, with one study contributing to both. Overall, children with UW have slightly lower physical fitness (SMD = -0.10) and motor skill competence (SMD = -0.12) compared to their NW peers, but the evidence to support this is very low. In North America and Europe, there was no significant difference in physical fitness between the groups. Asian and African children with UW have slightly but significantly weaker strength than NW peers (Asia: SMD = -0.21 Africa: SMD = -0.27). Asian UW children present with weaker anaerobic capacity (SMD = -0.25), whereas African UW children have less flexibility (SMD = -0.16) than NW peers.
Conclusion:
UW children are less fit and have weaker motor skills than NW peers. Specifically in developing regions, UW children exhibited slightly but significantly poorer performance in specific fitness domains. Therefore, not all UW children will experience these problems. The heterogeneity across the studies may have masked the true differences. Future research on these children is needed to help us understand their profiles better.
Prospero Registration Number:
CRD42023446239.
