Relationship between motor coordination and body adiposity indicators in children

Abstract

Objective: To determine the relationship between indicators of body fat and motor coordination (MC) in children of both sexes aged 8 to 11 years old. Methodology: A descriptive (correlational) study was carried out. A total of 82 schoolchildren (36 girls and 46 boys) aged 8 to 11 years old were studied. Weight, height, and waist circumference (WC) were evaluated. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. The Körper koordinations test Für Kinder (KTK) for MC was evaluated. Three BMI categories were determined (normal weight, overweight, and obesity). Results: Negative correlations were observed between the KTK ratio values, BMI, and WC, both in girls (r = -0.24 to -0.28) and in boys (r = -0.46 to -0.48). Children classified as normal weight had higher KTK ratio (121.4 ± 29.2 points) than those classified as overweight (102.3 ± 26.3 points) and obesity (89.2 ± 21.3 points) (p <0.05). Conclusion: MC was inversely related to body fat in children of both sexes. Furthermore, children classified as normal weight showed better performance in MC than overweight and obese children.