Relationship Of Sports Club Participation With Bmi Z-score And Sport Motor Function In Children

Abstract

Sedentary lifestyle and obesity are risk factors for various diseases. In the last decades motor function declined while obesity rate rose. Therefore prevention should be favoured and start in early childhood. PURPOSE: The relationship of participation in amateur sports club with BMI z-score (Body Mass Index - standard deviation score) and sport motor function in German children is examined. METHODS: The URMEL-ICE (Ulm Research on Metabolism, Exercise and Lifestyle Intervention in Children) baseline examination used a parents questionnaire to evaluate sports club participation, migration background and level of parents education in 1120 children (average age: 7.6+/−0.4 yrs) in southern Germany. Children were measured for BMI z-score. 900 children participated in 8 motor function tests. Multivariate variance analysis (MANOVA) for motor function and univariate variance analysis (ANOVA) for BMI z-score with sex, sports club participation, level of parents education and migration background as independent variables were calculated, followed by t-tests. Level of significance was defined with p< 0.05. RESULTS: 56.6% of the children participated in club sports once or twice a week, 10.6% even more often. Club sport and sex showed a significant effect on motor function. Children participating in sports club performed significantly better in 7 motor tests. Parents' level of education or migration background did not show a significant effect. For BMI z-score a significant interaction between sports club participation and sex was found. For boys two main effects were significant: sports club and parents level of education. Boys being active in sports club showed lower BMI z-score (highest to lowest category:−0,22). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a relationship between participation in sports club with BMI z-score and sport motor function. Further studies should examine if this implies a preventive effect on obesity and sedentary life style in general.