Children with Poor Motor Skills Have Lower Health-Related Fitness Compared to Typically Developing Children

Abstract

Most of the current empirical evidence regarding the relationship between health-related fitness and level of motor performance is based on children from high-income countries. Yet, children from low-resource areas may have fewer opportunities to develop their fitness skills. The aim of the study was to determine if South African children from both low- and middle-income areas scoring below the 16th percentile on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (probable-Developmental Coordination Disorder (p-DCD)) have lower health-related fitness levels than typically developing (TD) children. We hypothesized that children with p-DCD would have lower overall health-related fitness than TD children. A sample of 146 participants aged 10 to 11 (10.05 years (SD = 0.41)) was collected from schools in the North West Province of South Africa, on the basis of their poverty classification. Children were tested for anaerobic capacity and strength using the Bruininks–Oseretsky test of motor proficiency second edition (BOT-2) and aerobic capacity using the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER). Body composition was evaluated using body mass index corrected for age and sex (BMI-z), body fat (BF), and waist circumference. The data was analyzed using Spearman correlations and chi-squared tests. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between groups for running and agility, strength, and aerobic capacity. No significant differences were found between p-DCD and TD groups in terms of body mass (36.1 kg vs. 33.3 kg), waist circumference (62.2 cm vs. 59.8 cm), BMI-z (19.7 vs. 17.6), and fat percentage (20.2 vs. 18.1%). Overweight and obesity prevalence was 15% in those with low socio-economic status (SES) and 27% in high SES. In conclusion, children with p-DCD had lower muscular strength, aerobic capacity, and endurance than TD children. Although it has been reported that children with p-DCD have a higher risk for overweight/obesity than TD children, this is not (yet) the case in 10–11-year-old children living in rural areas in South Africa (North West Province).

Improving Motor Skills in Early Childhood through Goal-Oriented Play Activity

“…During childhood and at pre-school age, movement is an integral part of children's lives. In the first six years of life, children discover themselves and the world through movement and capture their surroundings through their body and their sensations [36]. Thus, especially in that period of human life, the study of a child's motor performance can significantly contribute to the full understanding of his/her entire personality [37].…”

Do Girls Have an Advantage Compared to Boys When Their Motor Skills Are Tested Using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd Edition?

“…However, there are few studies that have explored differences in MABC performance between boys and girls. It is striking to note that in the literature, when samples of children with DCD are recruited, the prevalence of boys is much higher when the MABC-2 is used (i.e., 68.8% (±12.5) boys [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]) compared to the BOT-2 (i.e., 48.4% (±17.1) boys [36][37][38]). This leads to the assumption that sex-related differences can impact the normative data and thereby potentially cause the underidentification of girls with DCD, which in turn reflects on the test's construct validity.…”

Spatial Accuracy and Variability in Dart Throwing in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder and the Relationship with Ball Skill Items

“…Proficient ball skills are essential because playground games and physical education classes often include aiming, throwing and catching activities [6]. Indeed, problems with coordination in children with DCD often restrict them from executing functional skills, which are needed for effective participation in sports and leisure activities [7,8]. These difficulties with motor control during ball catching lead to a large number of aiming and catching errors [9].…”