Participation in Physical Activity, Fitness, and Risk for Obesity in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Cross‐cultural Study

Abstract

Decreased physical activity has been linked to poor fitness and obesity, resulting in increased risk for health concerns. The objective is to study the relationships between children's motor coordination and their physical activity, sedentary behaviour, fitness and weight status in a cross-cultural study in the United States and Israel. Participants included 118 children 6-11 years of age: 53 children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and 65 typical children. The US sample included 31 DCD children and 44 typical children. The Israeli sample included 22 DCD children and 21 typical children. Participants were assessed on Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2, strength test of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency 2 and Six-minute Walk Test and wore an accelerometer. Parents completed physical activity questionnaires and demographic information. Body mass index was calculated based on height and weight. Testing took place in two sessions. Findings are that in both Israel and the United States, children with DCD demonstrated significantly reduced physical activity, increased sedentary behaviour, poorer fitness and increased overweight compared with typical children. No significant differences were found for country. With relevance to clinical practice, fitness and obesity are major concerns for children with DCD in both countries. Inclusion of occupational therapy in health promotion for this population is critical. Additional studies with testers blind to group, larger samples and other countries are recommended.

The Association between the Preference for Active Play and Neurological Development in Toddlers: A Register-Based Study

“…The majority of previous studies have concentrated on school-aged children's delays or disabilities in neurological development, and the associations with their participation in physical activity [17][18][19][20][21]30]. Our findings are partly in accordance with earlier studies among three-to four-year-old preschoolers [22,23], confirming that delayed gross motor competence is shown to already be associated with lower levels of active play during toddlerhood; however, the results are only consistent with the early years teacher's assessments.…”

“…Earlier studies have indicated that school-aged children (6-12 years old) with a developmental coordination disorder [17][18][19] and other disabilities-such as physical, intellectual, or sensory disabilities [20,21]-participate in less physical activity compared to their typically developing peers. Little evidence is available on these associations during early childhood.…”

Role of Pediatric Physical Therapists in Promoting Sports Participation in Developmental Coordination Disorder

“…Promoting sports participation for children with DCD may increase their physical activity and fitness. 18 Several facilitators for sports participation were identified by both PPTs and children with DCD in the interviews. Important facilitators were the suitability of the sports for the child' s motor abilities, and the alignment with the child' s wishes and preferences.…”

Linear and Nonlinear Analyses of the Cardiac Autonomic Control in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Case-Control Study

“…Therefore, these children are more likely to choose solitary tasks and with more sedentary characteristics (Sylvestre et al, 2013 ). As a consequence, children with DCD have lower levels of habitual physical activity (Hendrix et al, 2014 ) tending to develop overweight and obesity (Cermak et al, 2015 ), thus increasing the risk for developing cardiovascular diseases (Rivilis et al, 2011 ).…”