Influences of persistent overweight on perceptual-motor proficiency of primary school children: the North-West CHILD longitudinal study

Abstract

Background Overweight can be a precursor of poor motor execution, negatively impacting the overall development of school-aged children on various levels. This study determined the long-term influences of overweight on perceptual-motor proficiency (PMP) of primary school children in the North-West Province of South Africa. Methods The study, which included 381 participants, formed part of the NW-CHILD longitudinal study from Grade 1 (6.86 years, ± 0.39) in 2010 to Grade 7 (12.9 years, ± 0.38) in 2016. Socioeconomic categories, called quintiles, were used to compare high and low socioeconomic status groups. Overweight was identified when BMI values fell above the 85th percentile, using age- and gender-specific cut-off points. The group was categorised into 4 BMI groups (never overweight, persistent overweight, overweight-to-normal and normal-to-overweight). The Bruininks Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-2 (BOT-2) Short Form and selected composites measuring strength, balance, and running speed and agility were used to assess PMP. Results A repeated measures ANOVA analysis indicated specific PMP differences between different BMI groups, but not total motor proficiency (BOT-2 Short Form total) differences. Practical significant group differences (Cohen’s d-values) were found in running speed and agility, strength, balance and the BOT-2 total, over seven primary school years. The persistent overweight group showed the poorest performance over time, but also showed deteriorating skills and a gradual widening in perceptual-motor skills performance, compared to the other groups. BMI-related differences in perceptual-motor coordination were also more pronounced in older age groups. Conclusions Persistent overweight negatively impacts specific motor-proficiency components, while improving weight status can counter these effects, which highlights the importance of timeous intervention to combat obesity at a young age.

Anthropometric nutritional status of children (0–18 years) in South Africa 1997–2022: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Most regional studies in preschool children (0–6 years) were conducted in rural areas (68 %), while a similar proportion of studies among school-age children were from rural and urban areas. Race and ethnicity of the study participants were not always reported, but only two studies in children from one race were included in this review ( 19 , 20 ) . National studies and studies with a large sample size generally included children from all race groups.…”

Participating in a School-Integrated Daily Exercise Program Improves Motor Performance Significantly in School-Children

“…It was not surprising to find that overweight children performed worse than their non-overweight peers in all the tested motor skill categories (except for flexibility), in line with the literature [ 48 , 49 ]. Overweight children are known to show less development in their motor skills [ 50 ]. It was, therefore, surprising to see that the change in the tested motor skills in overweight children did not significantly differ from that in their non-overweight peers in any test item other than the standing long jump.…”

The Influence of a 9-Week Movement Program on the Body Composition of 7- to 8-Year-Old Schoolchildren in the Eastern Cape of South Africa

“…In the North West Province, a longitudinal study of 6-9 year old school children reported an overall increase from 12.5% at baseline to 16.7% prevalence of overweight/obesity over a 3-years period [16]. In the North-West Province of South Africa (SA), a recent study by de Waal and Pienaar [17] also revealed a prevalence of 9.97% among children of persistent overweight/obesity over a longitudinal period of 7 school years. This was also associated with poorer and deteriorating weight bearing motor skills and balancing skills in such children, which again can negatively influence healthy behaviors.…”

“…Poor motor competency at a young age is furthermore associated with behavior that is conducive to obesity [23][24][25][26][27] and strongly influences healthy behavior. Therefore, a better understanding of this association to the obesity healthcare challenge is still needed [17]. Young children are still at an optimal age for motor skill development, thus preventing a decrease in motor coordination over time that may add to health challenges [17].…”

“…Therefore, a better understanding of this association to the obesity healthcare challenge is still needed [17]. Young children are still at an optimal age for motor skill development, thus preventing a decrease in motor coordination over time that may add to health challenges [17]. The National report on the state and status of Physical Education in South Africa (SA) furthermore highlighted that rural areas in SA have challenges in promoting motor skills development and subsequently active behavior because of limited resources, lack of qualified physical educators and poor sporting facilities [28].…”