Motor Coordination in Schoolchildren Aged 6 to 11 in Northwestern Spain. A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Age and BMI
<b>Background/Objectives:</b> A large percentage of schoolchildren are children with overweight or obese, and weight gain over time increases the risk of poor health later in life. Motor coordination may be a protective factor, enabling young people to participate in healthy physical act...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/7/814 |
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| author | Ricardo Fernández-Vázquez Rubén Navarro-Patón Martín Barcala-Furelos Javier Cachón-Zagalaz Marcos Mecías-Calvo |
| author_facet | Ricardo Fernández-Vázquez Rubén Navarro-Patón Martín Barcala-Furelos Javier Cachón-Zagalaz Marcos Mecías-Calvo |
| author_sort | Ricardo Fernández-Vázquez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background/Objectives:</b> A large percentage of schoolchildren are children with overweight or obese, and weight gain over time increases the risk of poor health later in life. Motor coordination may be a protective factor, enabling young people to participate in healthy physical activities. However, it is unknown when the relationship between motor coordination and weight first emerges, nor whether it is evident across the body mass index (BMI) spectrum. The aim of this study was to explore what happens with coordination skills [i.e., locomotor coordination (LC), visuomotor coordination (VC), foot object control coordination (FOCC), hand object control coordination (HOCC), global motor coordination (GMC)] applying the 3JS battery, according to age (6 to 11 years) and BMI (normal weight, overweight or obesity) in a sample of 688 Primary Education participants (8.71 ± 1.66 years; 48.8% boys) from Galicia (Spain). <b>Methods</b>: To analyze the differences in the variables of the 3JS battery between age (6–11 years) and BMI (normal weight vs. overweight vs. obesity), they were evaluated using a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), introducing the sex category (boy-girl) as a covariate to avoid possible confounding factors. <b>Results:</b> After the application of the 3JS Battery, statistically significant differences were observed depending on age [LC (<i>p</i> < 0.001); VC (<i>p</i> < 0.001); FOCC (<i>p</i> < 0.001); HOCC (<i>p</i> < 0.001); GMC (<i>p</i> < 0.001)] and BMI [LC (<i>p</i> < 0.001); VC (<i>p</i> = 0.008); HOCC (<i>p</i> < 0.001); GMC (<i>p</i> < 0.001)]. No statistically significant differences were found in the interactions between age and BMI (<i>p</i> > 0.05). <b>Conclusions</b>: Locomotor coordination increases progressively with age, both globally and in each of the manifestations, and this is greater the older the schoolchildren are. Schoolchildren with normal weight compared to schoolchildren with overweight or obesity have better global motor coordination, locomotor coordination, global control of objects, and control with the hand. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cf4dd8bc7cdb4176a48e159f7b6fbac9 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2227-9067 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj-art-cf4dd8bc7cdb4176a48e159f7b6fbac92025-07-25T13:18:08ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672025-06-0112781410.3390/children12070814Motor Coordination in Schoolchildren Aged 6 to 11 in Northwestern Spain. A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Age and BMIRicardo Fernández-Vázquez0Rubén Navarro-Patón1Martín Barcala-Furelos2Javier Cachón-Zagalaz3Marcos Mecías-Calvo4Faculty of Humanities and Educational Sciences, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, SpainFacultade de Formación do Profesorado (Campus Terra), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 27001 Lugo, SpainResearch Group on Motor Skills, Physical Education, and Health, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 27001 Lugo, SpainFaculty of Humanities and Educational Sciences, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, SpainFacultade de Formación do Profesorado (Campus Terra), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 27001 Lugo, Spain<b>Background/Objectives:</b> A large percentage of schoolchildren are children with overweight or obese, and weight gain over time increases the risk of poor health later in life. Motor coordination may be a protective factor, enabling young people to participate in healthy physical activities. However, it is unknown when the relationship between motor coordination and weight first emerges, nor whether it is evident across the body mass index (BMI) spectrum. The aim of this study was to explore what happens with coordination skills [i.e., locomotor coordination (LC), visuomotor coordination (VC), foot object control coordination (FOCC), hand object control coordination (HOCC), global motor coordination (GMC)] applying the 3JS battery, according to age (6 to 11 years) and BMI (normal weight, overweight or obesity) in a sample of 688 Primary Education participants (8.71 ± 1.66 years; 48.8% boys) from Galicia (Spain). <b>Methods</b>: To analyze the differences in the variables of the 3JS battery between age (6–11 years) and BMI (normal weight vs. overweight vs. obesity), they were evaluated using a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), introducing the sex category (boy-girl) as a covariate to avoid possible confounding factors. <b>Results:</b> After the application of the 3JS Battery, statistically significant differences were observed depending on age [LC (<i>p</i> < 0.001); VC (<i>p</i> < 0.001); FOCC (<i>p</i> < 0.001); HOCC (<i>p</i> < 0.001); GMC (<i>p</i> < 0.001)] and BMI [LC (<i>p</i> < 0.001); VC (<i>p</i> = 0.008); HOCC (<i>p</i> < 0.001); GMC (<i>p</i> < 0.001)]. No statistically significant differences were found in the interactions between age and BMI (<i>p</i> > 0.05). <b>Conclusions</b>: Locomotor coordination increases progressively with age, both globally and in each of the manifestations, and this is greater the older the schoolchildren are. Schoolchildren with normal weight compared to schoolchildren with overweight or obesity have better global motor coordination, locomotor coordination, global control of objects, and control with the hand.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/7/814primary educationschoolchildrenlocomotor coordinationobject coordinationoverweightobesity |
| spellingShingle | Ricardo Fernández-Vázquez Rubén Navarro-Patón Martín Barcala-Furelos Javier Cachón-Zagalaz Marcos Mecías-Calvo Motor Coordination in Schoolchildren Aged 6 to 11 in Northwestern Spain. A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Age and BMI Children primary education schoolchildren locomotor coordination object coordination overweight obesity |
| title | Motor Coordination in Schoolchildren Aged 6 to 11 in Northwestern Spain. A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Age and BMI |
| title_full | Motor Coordination in Schoolchildren Aged 6 to 11 in Northwestern Spain. A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Age and BMI |
| title_fullStr | Motor Coordination in Schoolchildren Aged 6 to 11 in Northwestern Spain. A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Age and BMI |
| title_full_unstemmed | Motor Coordination in Schoolchildren Aged 6 to 11 in Northwestern Spain. A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Age and BMI |
| title_short | Motor Coordination in Schoolchildren Aged 6 to 11 in Northwestern Spain. A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Age and BMI |
| title_sort | motor coordination in schoolchildren aged 6 to 11 in northwestern spain a cross sectional study based on age and bmi |
| topic | primary education schoolchildren locomotor coordination object coordination overweight obesity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/7/814 |
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