Relationship Between Motor Competence and Weight Status from Childhood to Adolescence (3-19 Years)

To evaluate the relationship between motor competence (MC) and weight status (WS) from childhood through adolescence.

A total of 4537 participants (2425 boys) aged 3-19 years were assessed. The MC was measured using the MC Assessment (MCA) instrument, and body mass index was calculated from height and weight.

An inverted U-shaped relationship was observed between WS and MC. Participants with a healthy weight (HW) consistently showed higher total MCA scores compared to those with underweight (UW) (P = .002), overweight (OW), and obesity (OB) (both P < .001). The OB participants had the lowest MC scores overall (OB < OW < HW; P < .001), with UW also performing significantly worse than HW. This pattern was consistent in the Stability and Locomotor components. However, in the Manipulative component, UW participants scored significantly lower than all other groups (HW P = .028; OW P = .024; OB P = .017), while HW, OW, and OB did not differ significantly. These patterns were consistent across sex and age groups (all Ps > .05).

An association between WS and MC was observed across developmental stages, suggesting that HW profiles may be related to higher MC. The consistency of these patterns across age and sex suggests that biological and sociocultural mechanisms may jointly influence this relationship throughout development.