Gross motor coordination in relation to weight status and age in 5- to 12-year-old boys and girls : a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: Motor skill competence is a prerequisite for everyday activities in children and an important aspect underlying their engagement in physical activities. Given the reciprocal relationship between motor competence, or lack thereof, and physical (in)activity, great attention should be paid to skill and coordination level of children with an excessive body mass. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate gross motor coordination in normal-weight, overweight and obese children across developmental time. METHODS: Data were collected in 954 Flemish primary school children (500 girls, 454 boys), stratified in consecutive age groups (5-7y, 8-9y, 10-12y). Participants’ weight status (normal-weight, overweight, obese) was defined according to international age- and gender specific BMI cut-off points for children. Gross motor coordination was assessed by means of the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK), a standardized test resulting in a motor quotient (MQ) based on which children with motor difficulties can be identified. RESULTS: Childhood overweight and particularly obesity were found to result in poorer KTK performances, with the most pronounced effects of BMI on those items requiring physical properties next to coordination. Overall KTK performance was featured by a BMI x AGE interaction (F = 4.99, p < 0.001). Whereas normal-weight children performed at a similar level across age groups, the BMI related discrepancy became increasingly clear as children belonged to an older age group. Furthermore, approximately one fifth of the normal-weight participants was identified as being motor impaired, while that proportion increased to 43.3% and up to 70.8% in overweight and obese children, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood overweight and obesity are detrimental to gross motor coordination. Moreover, results indicated a relative decline in gross motor competence against performance of normal-weight peers with increasing age. Although this outcome needs to be confirmed in future longitudinal research, it emphasizes the need for early and comprehensive intervention programs also focusing on motor skill improvement to boost overweight and obese children’s motivation to be physically active