Weight status and gender-related differences in motor skills and in child care - based physical activity in young children

Antoine Bonvin,Jérôme Barral,Jardena J Puder,Pedro Marques-Vidal,Anouk Longchamp,Susi Kriemler,Tanja H Kakebeeke

doi:10.1186/1471-2431-12-23

Abstract

BackgroundOver the last decades, a decline in motor skills and in physical activity and an increase in obesity has been observed in children. However, there is a lack of data in young children. We tested if differences in motor skills and in physical activity according to weight or gender were already present in 2- to 4-year-old children.MethodsFifty-eight child care centers in the French part of Switzerland were randomly selected for the Youp'là bouge study. Motor skills were assessed by an obstacle course including 5 motor skills, derived from the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment test. Physical activity was measured with accelerometers (GT1M, Actigraph, Florida, USA) using age-adapted cut-offs. Weight status was assessed using the International Obesity Task Force criteria (healthy weight vs overweight) for body mass index (BMI).ResultsOf the 529 children (49% girls, 3.4 ± 0.6 years, BMI 16.2 ± 1.2 kg/m2), 13% were overweight. There were no significant weight status-related differences in the single skills of the obstacle course, but there was a trend (p = 0.059) for a lower performance of overweight children in the overall motor skills score. No significant weight status-related differences in child care-based physical activity were observed. No gender-related differences were found in the overall motor skills score, but boys performed better than girls in 2 of the 5 motor skills (p ≤ 0.04). Total physical activity as well as time spent in moderate-vigorous and in vigorous activity during child care were 12-25% higher and sedentary activity 5% lower in boys compared to girls (all p < 0.01).ConclusionsAt this early age, there were no significant weight status- or gender-related differences in global motor skills. However, in accordance to data in older children, child care-based physical activity was higher in boys compared to girls. These results are important to consider when establishing physical activity recommendations or targeting health promotion interventions in young children.

Highlights

Over the last decades, a decline in motor skills and in physical activity and an increase in obesity has been observed in children
There were no significant gender differences in the anthropometric measures, overweight prevalence tended to be higher in girls (p = 0.053)
A tendency for lower performance in the overweight children was observed in the total Basic Motor Score (n = 529, p = 0.059), but not in the total Integral Motor Score (n = 411, p = 0.19) (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

A decline in motor skills and in physical activity and an increase in obesity has been observed in children. Weight status-related differences in motor skills [9,10] and in measured physical activity [11,12] are well documented in school children, though some controversy remains [13]. The few existing studies conducted in 4- to 6year-old preschool children report controversial findings regarding weight status-related differences in motor skills [19,20,21] and in objectively measured physical activity [22,23]. No studies investigating differences in motor skills and in physical activity between healthy weight and overweight children below age 4 have been performed

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