Abstract
Aim: To examine the effect of body mass index (BMI) on Fundamental Motor Skill Proficiency among 9 to 10 years-old Turkish children. Methods: A total of 214 children (mean age 9.45±0.49) were included in the study (110 girls, 104 boys). Fundamental Motor Skill Proficiency was assessed with the Test of Gross Motor Development-Second Edition (TGMD-2). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated according to the formula [kg/height2] after the height and weight measurement for each child and classified according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Agency (CDC) guidelines. Results: 72% of the children have a healthy weight, 14.5% were overweight and 13.6% were obese. The ratio of overweight and obese is higher for boys than for girls. There was a significant difference between BMI groups in terms of TGMD-2 locomotor subtest scores (p <0.05), but no significant difference in terms of manipulative subtests. It can be said that being overweight restricts mobility for Turkish children but does not affect object control skills that doing the mostly static position. Conclusion: This study demonstrates inadequate fundamental motor skills proficiency levels among Turkish 9-10 years old children. Childhood education centers should provide 'planned' movement programs under the supervision of physical education teachers in order to support motor skills development and prevent obesity among Turkish children.
Highlights
Fundamental motor skills are common motor activities with specific observable models
The fundamental motor skills are classified according to their functions as stability, movement and object control skills
The effect of obesity on mobility of children has been studied in the international literature for over 30 years, there is no data on the effect of being overweight and obese on motor efficacy of Turkish children
Summary
Fundamental motor skills are common motor activities with specific observable models. Most skills used in sports, dance, physical fitness, and other movement activities are advanced versions of fundamental motor skills. The fundamental motor skills are classified according to their functions as stability (non-locomotor), movement (locomotor) and object control skills (manipulative). The main factors affecting the acquisition of fundamental motor skills are the characteristics of the child (age, physical characteristics, gender, ability, interest, motivation), environmental factors (family, friends, living environment, economic status, etc.) and the requirements of the task. It is stated that physical activity opportunities are not sufficiently provided for the development of fundamental motor skills in children (Stodden et al, 2008; Whitehead, 2010)
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