Weight status is associated with cross-sectional trajectories of motor co-ordination across childhood.

BACKGROUND

Research indicates the development of motor co-ordination (MC) may be an important contributing factor to positive or negative weight trajectories across childhood.

OBJECTIVES

To analyse cross-sectional associations between MC and weight status in children (boys n = 3344 - girls n = 3281), aged 6-11 years and assess overweight/obese risk across different ages.

METHODS

Body mass index (BMI) was calculated [body mass (kg)/height (m(2))]. MC was evaluated using the Körperkoordination Test für Kinder (KTK) and a motor quotient (MQ) was calculated. MQ distribution data were split into tertiles. The effect of age, sex and MQ tertiles on BMI and MC was tested with a factorial anova. A logistic regression also was performed to calculate odd ratios (OR) for being overweight/obese at each age.

RESULTS

Children with higher MQ demonstrated lower BMI levels (F(2,6224) = 222.09; P < 0.001). Differences in BMI among MQ tertiles became larger across age (F(10,6224) = 4.53; P < 0.001). The OR of being overweight/obese in both sexes within the lowest MQ tertile increased in each age group from 6 to 11 years. Specifically, OR increased from 2.26 to 27.77 and from 1.87 to 6.81 in boys and girls respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with low levels of MC have a higher risk of being overweight/obese and this risk increases with age.