TITLE:
Longitudinal Association of Motor Development and Body Weight in Elementary School Children—A 4-Year Observational Study
AUTHORS:
Klaus Greier, Clemens Drenowatz, Herbert Riechelmann, Gerhard Ruedl, Werner Kirschner, Carla Greier
KEYWORDS:
Physical Fitness, Overweight, Obesity, Weight Change, Cardiorespiratory Endurance, Muscular Strength, Youth
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Physical Education,
Vol.10 No.4,
November
5,
2020
ABSTRACT: The inverse association between body weight
and physical fitness has been well documented but there remains limited
information on the association of weight change with the development of
physical fitness, particularly in elementary school children. The present
study, therefore, examined the association between change in weight status and
the development of physical fitness from the ages 6 to 10 years in 301 Austrian
children (55.1% male). Body weight and height were measured according to
standard procedures and physical fitness was assessed via the German motor test
(DMT 6-18) at baseline and 4-year follow-up. Overweight/obesity was
determined using the 90th BMI percentile at each measurement time and children
were classified as always normal weight, always overweight/obese, weight
gainers (transition from normal weight to overweight/obese) and weight losers
(transition from overweight/obese to normal weight). The majority of children
(80.1%) maintained normal weight while 7.9% were considered overweight/obese
throughout the observation period. A total of 10.3% were classified as weight
gainers and only 1.7% were considered weight losers. Weight gainers and those
who were overweight/obese throughout the observation period displayed lower
improvements in physical fitness, except for flexibility, compared to those
who maintained normal weight. Of particular concern is the lack of improvement
in cardiorespiratory fitness in weight gainers and overweight/obese children
during the elementary school years. Given the detrimental effects of excess
body weight on the development of physical fitness, preventive measures that
emphasize a healthy body weight and facilitate physical activities that
enhance physical fitness should start at young age.