Interrelationships among motor coordination, body fat percentage, and physical activity in adolescent girls

Abstract

Purpose. The aim of this study was to analyze the interrelationships among motor coordination, body fat percentage, and physical activity levels in adolescent girls. Methods. Sixty-eight girls aged 12-14 years participated in the study. Skinfold thickness was measured and the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder test was administered. Participants completed a self-reporting questionnaire on physical activity. Bivariate and partial correlations were used to analyze the interrelationships among the selected variables. Results. There were no significant (p > 0.05) correlations between any motor coordination scores and physical activity levels with and without controlling for body fat percentage. All motor coordination scores were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with body fat with and without controlling for physical activity levels. Conclusions. The relationships between motor coordination scores and physical activity levels, as well as between motor coordination scores and body fat percentage, were not influenced by body fat and physical activity levels, respectively. However, the overall low physical activity level in this sample may have biased these results. Additional research involving girls with higher physical activity levels should be pursued.

The three-way interplay of motor coordination, body fatness and physical activity in adolescents: a preliminary study

“…Therefore, these findings confirm the assumption that having elevated body fatness and increased levels of physical activity are not mutually exclusive conditions. In line with previous findings [3,5,6,8,10,20], the results of this study indicated that motor coordination level and body fatness are negatively associated in adolescent boys. A plausible explanation for these results is based on biomechanical principles.…”

“…Further, in line with a previous study [3], these results suggest that physical activity influence the association between motor coordination and body fatness in adolescents [3]. Although it is well documented that motor coordination level is negatively associated with body fatness [3,5,6,8,10,20] and positively associated with physical activity [11,14,17,21], there are other variables that can interfere with this relationship. In this regard, D'Hondt et al [8] argued that the negative association between motor coordination and body fatness is mediated by several alternative, and possibly complementary mechanisms.…”

“…Chagas and Batista [3], analyzing a mixed sample of adolescent boys and girls, found that the physical activity level can influence the association between motor coordination level and body mass index. In another study, Chagas and Batista [5] found that the associations between motor coordination and physical activity, as well as between motor coordination and body fat percentage, were not influenced by body fat percentage and physical activity level, respectively, in adolescent girls.…”

“…Overall, evidence is limited concerning the three-way interplay of motor coordination, body fat and physical activity in children and adolescents. Indeed, most of the evidence about the topic has been obtained based on bivariate analyses between motor coordination and health-related attributes [5], which may have biased the findings and interpretations.…”

The relationships between gross motor coordination and sport-specific skills in adolescent non-athletes

“…However, the usefulness of measures obtained from motor coordination tests is not restricted to solely assessing the neurological and functional status in children [3]. For instance, emerging evidence supports associations between the degree of motor coordination and a range of health outcomes among boys and girls [4,5], such as levels of physical activity, physical fitness, and weight status [6].…”