Abstract
In the last three decades, childhood obesity has become a 21st century epidemic, a product of social development. The purpose of this study was to analyze the repercussions that overweight and obesity have for the basic motor skills of a group of children in primary school, as well as their interrelations. We analyzed a sample of 287 students from Spain, aged between 8 and 12 years. Anthropometric data were taken to determine their Body Mass Index (BMI). A scale of assessment of basic motor skills was used to evaluate their motor skills. The BMI data revealed that 11% of this sample was considered obese, and 26% was overweight. Children showed higher competence in locomotor skills than in object control and turn and rolling skills, for which motor competence levels were lower. Likewise, there was an inverse relationship between BMI and basic motor skills; children with obesity had the lowest levels of motor skills, and there was a significant difference regarding non-obese children (p ≤ 0.05). These results showed that overweight and obese children have lower basic motor skills, which can lead to the abandonment of physical activity and the preference for other activities that reinforce a sedentary lifestyle.
Highlights
Primary education aims to strengthen the social, affective, and motor cognitive development of students, and for many children this stage is the beginning of formalized and systematic activity [1,2]
The results corresponding to the prevalence of overweight and obesity indicated that the average values of the Body Mass Index (BMI) increased with age in the case of boys, while for girls, there was an increase between 8 and 10 years of age, as well as a slight decrease
We found an inverse relationship between BMI and basic motor skills; children with obesity reported the lowest levels of motor skills
Summary
Primary education aims to strengthen the social, affective, and motor cognitive development of students, and for many children this stage is the beginning of formalized and systematic activity [1,2]. One of the objectives of physical education in primary education is to develop basic motor skills. Basic motor skills are phylogenetic actions that are species-specific and play a relevant role in survival. These include displacing, jumping, turning, receiving, and throwing, which in turn are the basis for the development of other more specific skills [3,4]. Physical and neurological maturation, the quality and variety of experiences, genetic and environmental conditions, quality of life, a balanced diet, and hygiene are factors that are directly involved in motor development [3,4,5,6].
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