Biological and environmental influences on motor coordination in Peruvian children and adolescents

Abstract

This study investigated the associations between biological and environmental factors and gross-motor coordination (GMC) in Peruvian children and adolescents. The sample comprised 7401 boys and girls, aged 6–14 years, recruited from three geographical regions: sea-level, Amazon and high-altitude. Biological variables included age, sex, height, BMI, physical fitness, stunting, and maturational status. Environmental influences included geographical region and school characteristics. Gross-motor coordination was tested with the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder and the data analyzed by multilevel logistic regression. Results showed a high prevalence of below normal GMC scores. Sex, age, geographical area, biological maturation, BMI (normal versus overweight/obesity), and stunting were all significant predictors of GMC. There was also an interaction between age, sex, and geographical area indicating that older girls who lived at sea-level and high-altitude were more likely to display below normal GMC scores. The school context was less important in predicting GMC problems than the interplay between biological characteristics and geographical region. These results suggest that early identification, as well as educational and pediatric care interventions, are of importance in reducing below normal GMC among Peruvian children and adolescents.

Multiscale Impact of Environmental and Socio-Economic Factors on Low Physical Fitness among Chinese Adolescents and Regionalized Coping Strategies

“…Children living at higher altitudes have higher lung function relative to children living at lower altitudes [ 91 , 92 , 93 ]. Studies have shown that after a period of acclimatization to the plateau, students’ CRF improved significantly, and adolescents living at relatively high altitudes had better motor coordination, which also corroborates our findings that the appropriate altitude is beneficial to adolescents’ physical performance [ 94 , 95 ]. The spatial pattern of the influence of altitude may be explained by the fact that although youth physical fitness failure rates are influenced by a combination of factors, they are currently largely dependent on socio-economic development conditions.…”

Investigating levels and determinants of primary school children’s basic motor competencies in nine European countries

“…Longitudinal studies should identify the direction of these effects. Previous research suggests that children's weight status negatively influences future levels of some aspects of motor competence and vice versa (Pereira et al 2021). Therefore, preventive measures such as education, motivation for PA and observation of children's weight status and motor competence levels are crucial.…”

Impact of Parental Education and Physical Activity on the Long-Term Development of the Physical Fitness of Primary School Children: An Observational Study

“…Regarding parental education as a sub domain of socio-economic status, other studies used a more systematic approach to assess this multi-facetted construct, e.g., Klein et al [29]. Additionally, other authors have stressed the role of other factors, such as children's biological characteristics, on the determination of PF [43]. Regarding PA, future studies might consider using already validated questionnaires to assess PA levels, e.g., the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) [44].…”