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Association between motor coordination, body mass index, and sports participation in children 6–11 years old

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Abstract

Purpose

To examine associations between motor coordination, body mass index (BMI), and sports participation in children 6–11 years old.

Methods

240 primary school children were enrolled in this cross-sectional study, divided into three age groups, each of which was subdivided into four weight classes: underweight (UW), normoweight (NW), overweight (OW), and obese (OB). The UW and NW groups were then compared to the OW and OB groups for differences in motor coordination ability and sports participation.

Results

Motor coordination ability was observed to decrease and the proportion of OW/OB children to increase with age. A significant association between BMI and motor coordination ability was noted (p < 0.01), indicating that ability levels were lower in the OW and OB groups than in the UW and NW groups. Sports participation did not seem to depend on BMI status. Furthermore, a reduction of MC in both BMI groups according to the age-class stratification was observed.

Conclusion

A significant decrease in motor coordination ability with increasing age, together with an increase in overweight/obesity status become actual. Moreover, a negative influence was observed on coordination skills according to the increment in BMI level. Since BMI status was not seen as a deterrent to physical activity, teachers, physicians, parents, and trainers should encourage children to take up sports and continue participation to better develop their motor coordination abilities.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are very grateful to Prof. Federico Schena for his encouragement and scientific support.

Funding

No external funding sources.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Science, Università degli Studi di Verona, Lungadige Porta Vittoria, 17, 37129, Verona, Italy

    Matteo Giuriato

  2. Match Analysis Lab, Italian Federation of Badminton, Milan, Italy

    Lorenzo Pugliese

  3. Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

    Valentina Biino & Luciano Bertinato

  4. Laboratory of Adapted Motor Activity (LAMA), University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Antonio La Torre & Nicola Lovecchio

Authors
  1. Matteo Giuriato
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  2. Lorenzo Pugliese
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  3. Valentina Biino
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  4. Luciano Bertinato
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  5. Antonio La Torre
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  6. Nicola Lovecchio
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matteo Giuriato.

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The authors have declared no conflict of interest.

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All procedures were in accord with current national and international laws and regulations governing in line with the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Giuriato, M., Pugliese, L., Biino, V. et al. Association between motor coordination, body mass index, and sports participation in children 6–11 years old. Sport Sci Health 15, 463–468 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-019-00554-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-019-00554-0

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