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Factors associated with motor performance among overweight and nonoverweight Tyrolean primary school children

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Summary

Background

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among children is often associated with motor deficits. Motor performance among children partly depends on modifiable factors, for example, weight status, electronic media use, sports club participation, and on nonmodifiable factors, for example, sex, age, migration background, or socio-economic status.

Aim

To evaluate factors associated with motor performance among overweight and nonoverweight Tyrolean primary school children.

Methods

Height, weight, and sport motor performance of primary school children were measured using the German motor performance test DMT 6–18. In addition, children were asked about migration background, sports club participation, and electronic media use in their room.

Results

A total of 304 children (48.7 % girls) with a mean age of 8.0 ± 1.2 years were tested. In total, 61 (20.1 %) children were overweight or obese. Regarding motor performance, nonoverweight children showed significantly higher total z-scores (106.8 ± 5.7 vs. 102.4 ± 6.8).

For the total cohort, results of the multiple linear regression analysis (R 2 = 0.20) revealed that factors male sex (β = 0.12), nonoverweight children (β = 0.28), higher school grade (β = 0.23), sports club participation (β = 0.18),and > 2 weekly lessons of physical education (β = 0.26) were associated with an increased motor performance.

For nonoverweight children results of the multiple linear regression analysis (R 2 = 0.09) found that a higher school grade (β = 0.17), sports club participation (β = 0.16),and more than 2 weekly lessons of physical education (β = 0.22) were associated with an increased motor performance. For the overweight children, results of the multiple linear regression analysis (R 2 = 0 .43) showed that no migration background (β = 0.23), a higher school grade (β = 0.55), sports club participation (β = 0.33) and more than 2 weekly lessons of physical education (β = 0.48) were associated with an increased motor performance.

Conclusion

Regarding modifiable factors, motor performance among overweight and nonoverweight children is strongly associated with a higher number of weekly lessons in physical education. Therefore, daily lessons in physical education are strongly recommended to improve motor performance especially among overweight primary school children.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the help of students from the Department of Sport Science of the University of Innsbruck, Austria, conducting the motor performance tests and interviews.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Fürstenweg 185, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Gerhard Ruedl, Werner Kirschner & Martin Kopp

  2. University College of Education (KPH) Stams, Stams, Austria

    Klaus Greier

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  1. Gerhard Ruedl
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  2. Klaus Greier
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  3. Werner Kirschner
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  4. Martin Kopp
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Correspondence to Gerhard Ruedl.

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Conflict of interest

G. Ruedl, K. Greier, W. Kirschner and M. Kopp declare that there are no actual or potential conflicts of interest in relation to this article.

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Ruedl, G., Greier, K., Kirschner, W. et al. Factors associated with motor performance among overweight and nonoverweight Tyrolean primary school children. Wien Klin Wochenschr 128, 14–19 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-015-0887-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-015-0887-3

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