Psychomotor Limitations of Overweight and Obese Five-Year-Old Children: Influence of Body Mass Indices on Motor, Perceptual, and Social-Emotional Skills

• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16030427
• Publication Date: 2019-02-01T16:19:58Z
• Authors: Pedro Gil Madrona; Sonia J. Romero M...; Nieves María Sáez...; Xavier G. Ordóñez...
• Keywords: Male; obesity; psychomotor development; Dietética y nutrición; body mass index; Article; Body Mass Index; Social Skills; 03 medical and health sciences; Child Development; Sex Factors; 0302 clinical medicine; Psicomotricidad (Psicología); social-emotional skills; Humans; Obesity; 10. No inequality; 2. Zero hunger; motor skills; 4. Education; body mass index; motor skills; obesity; perceptual skills; psychomotor development; social-emotional skills; Overweight; Dietética y nutrición (Medicina); Psicomotricidad; 3. Good health; Spain; perceptual skills; Child, Preschool; Female; 3206 Ciencias de la Nutrición; Psychomotor Performance

The present research aimed to study the psycho-motor performance of five-year-old children with different body mass indices (BMI). A total of 694 pre-school children in the province of Albacete-Spain participated. Their performance in motor, perceptual, and social-emotional skills was analyzed using a standardized observation sheet (Checklist of Psychomotor Activities—CPA) and then compared according to their BMI using non-parametric statistical methods (Mann-Whitney test). Separate comparisons were made for girls and boys. Results indicated significant differences in performance amongst the groups of girls in all the motor and perceptual activities, and in the social relationships component of the social-emotional factor. These differences seemed to penalize motor activities, perceptual skills, and social relationships in overweight and obese girls compared to normal weight girls. In the case of boys, there were significant differences in laterality and visual-motor coordination (favoring overweight boys). Differences in respiratory control were also found, but in this case, penalizing obese boys compared to normal weight boys. Knowledge of possible psychomotor limitations in obese children could allow psychologists and healthcare professionals to design more focused interventions.