The Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Gross Motor Development in Children Aged 3 to 5 Years

Deborah Nervik · Kathy S. Martin · Peter J. Rundquist · Joshua Cleland

53 citations0/0 files storedPediatric Physical Therapy

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Children's Physical and Motor Development Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet Cerebral Palsy and Movement Disorders

Abstract

In Brief Purpose: To investigate the relationship between obesity and gross motor development in children who are developing typically and determine whether body mass index (BMI) predicts difficulty in gross motor skills. Methods: BMIs were calculated and gross motor skills examined in 50 children who were healthy aged 3 to 5 years using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, 2nd edition (PDMS-2). Pearson chi-square statistic and stepwise linear hierarchical regression were used for analysis. Results: A total of 24% of the children were overweight/obese, whereas 76% were found not to be overweight/obese. Fifty-eight percent of the overweight/obese group scored below average on the PDMS-2 compared to 15% of the nonoverweight group. Association between BMI and gross motor quotients was identified with significance of less than 0.002. Regression results were nonsignificant with all 50 subjects, yet showed significance (P = 0.018) when an outlier was excluded. Conclusions: Children aged 3 to 5 years with high BMIs may have difficulty with their gross motor skills. Further research is needed. The authors document the relationship between BMI and motor development in young children using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales. They advocate for the role of physical therapists in preventing obesity in children.This study was completed by Deborah Nervik as a requirement for the Doctor of Health Science (DHS) degree from the Krannert School of Physical Therapy, University of Indianapolis.

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References

2006The Relationship Between Motor Proficiency and Physical Activity in Children 2008Motor Skill Performance and Physical Activity in Preschool Children 2004Actual and Perceived Physical Competence in Overweight and Nonoverweight Children 2008Childhood obesity affects fine motor skill performance under different postural constraints 2008Does Weight Status Influence Associations Between Children's Fundamental Movement Skills and Physical Activity?1998Assessment of Anthropometric Factors on Balance Tests in Children

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