The relationship between motor coordination and physical activity in children

Problem under investigation. Current public health recommendations call for at least 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity for children. Many children do not meet these recommendations.;Objective/hypothesis. To examine the relationship between coordination and physical activity in 8-10 year-old children living in Erie County, New York. The relative reinforcing value of physical and sedentary activity will also be assessed.;Previous findings. Previous research has suggested the amount of physical activity children engage in may be influenced by their degree of coordination/motor proficiency. Further, reduced coordination may contribute to childhood obesity, particularly in children where there is increasing evidence of a link between obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Research conducted in our lab previously found that coordination as measured by the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP) was a predictor of self-reported physical activity in children.;Research design/material methods. Seventy-two children (39 girls and 33 boys) met the eligibility for this study and completed all components. Children's physical activity was assessed by activity monitored data (accelerometry), and their coordination was determined by the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP). Additionally, a computerized behavioral choice task program was utilized to determine the relative reinforcing value of physical and sedentary activity. The Children's Self-Perceptions of Adequacy in and Predilection for Physical Activity Scale (CSAPPA) was used to measure children's self-perceptions of their adequacy in performing, and their desire to participate in, physical activities. This study was approved by the Child and Youth Institutional Review Board at the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo. The Child and Youth Institutional Review Board reviews research proposals received from University at Buffalo researchers involving the health and well being of minors.;Results. Positive associations were found between motor proficiency and physical activity in children, while percent time in sedentary activity was negatively associated with motor proficiency. Motor proficiency was independently associated with physical activity after controlling for the variables in step one, explaining an additional 7.5% of the variance. Children who scored higher on the CSAPPA scale were more likely to have significantly greater motor proficiency compared to children who scored lower on the CSAPPA. The relationship between the relative reinforcing value for activity and physical activity was significant for girls but not boys.;Potential Significance. This research has the potential benefit of helping understand the role of coordination and the relative reinforcing value of physical activity in physical activity participation. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).