The relationship between children's motor proficiency and health‐related fitness

Abstract

Aims: The overall purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between motor proficiency and health‐related fitness in children. In addition, the study aimed to determine if particular combinations of motor skills have a stronger relationship with individual health‐related fitness measures. Methods: Seventy‐seven children (F:28, M:49) (mean age: 11.19 ± 2.74 years) participated in this prospective cohort study. Physical measures included the following: motor proficiency (Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, heart rate and VO²peak (mL/kg/min). Results: After factoring in age, motor proficiency as a combined total score had a strong negative relationship with the health‐related fitness measures of BMI (r² = 0.62, P < 0.001) and waist circumference (r² = 0.72, P < 0.001) and a strong positive relationship with VO₂peak (r² = 0.78, P = 0.002). Children with lower motor proficiency (≤ 25th percentile) had a significantly larger mean waist circumference (M = 13.85 cm, 95% confidence interval (CI) (2.05, 25.66), P = 0.01), heavier weight (M = 22.17 kg, 95% CI (2.44, 41.91), P = 0.02) and higher BMI (M = 5.10 kg/m², 95% CI (0.33, 9.87), P = 0.03) than children with higher motor proficiency (≤ 75th percentile). Conclusions: Motor proficiency, once corrected for age, is significantly related to a number of health‐related measures in children and should therefore be considered a focus for investigation for children with poor health‐related fitness (e.g. high BMI and waist circumference percentiles or low cardiorespiratory fitness), as motor incompetence could be an underlying contributing factor to a child's poor physical health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond Institute of Health and Sport, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. Other Publishers: Blackwell Publishing. Release Date: 20171109. Publication Type: Journal (0100), Peer Reviewed Journal (0110). Format Covered: Electronic. Document Type: Journal Article. Language: EnglishMajor Descriptor: Childhood Development; Physical Fitness; Motor Control. Classification: Psychosocial & Personality Development (2840). Population: Human (10); Male (30); Female (40). Age Group: Childhood (birth-12 yrs) (100); Preschool Age (2-5 yrs) (160); School Age (6-12 yrs) (180); Adolescence (13-17 yrs) (200). Methodology: Empirical Study; Quantitative Study. References Available: Y. Page Count: 7. Issue Publication Date: Aug, 2016. Publication History: Accepted Date: Feb 19, 2016. Copyright Statement: Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians). 2016.Sponsor: Bond University Research Centre for Health, Exercise Science and Sport (BURCHESS), Australia. Recipients: No recipient indicated <br />Sponsor: Bond University, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Australia. Recipients: No recipient indicated <br />