Anthropometric and motor characteristics of Senegalese children with different nutritional histories.

The effects of Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) on the motor performance of 4.5-6.5-year-old Senegalese children were studied. Body dimensions included weight, lengths, circumferences, and four skinfolds. Motor performance tests included a 3-min endurance run, 4 x 10 m shuttle-run, distance throw, standing long jump and grip strength. The sample consisted of 147 children: 52 children who were hospitalized for severe undernutrition (severe UN group) during infancy but who had been nutritionally rehabilitated; 63 children who were never severely malnourished but who were chronically exposed to mild-to-moderate undernutrition up to the time of study (chronic UN group); and 32 well nourished children (well nourished group) from well-off households. After adjusting for sex and age, the well nourished group performed better than the severe UN and chronic UN groups. Principal components analysis resulted in two factors which explained 65% of the variance in anthropometry and motor performance. One was related to body size and the second to body composition. The three nutritional groups differed significantly in principal component scores for the two factors; chronic UN and severe UN children also differed for the second factor. Body composition, especially low fat mass appeared to be an important feature for motor performance in chronically undernourished children.