The effect of karate interventions on the motor proficiency of female adolescents with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) from high and low socio-economic status

Abstract

Background There is not a general consensus on the best type of intervention to improve the motor proficiency (MP) of adolescents with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Considering the effect of socio-economic status (SES) in relation to the MP of adolescents with DCD, it is necessary to examine this issue further. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Karate-Do interventions on the MP of adolescents with DCD from high/low SES. Methods Participants included 16 adolescent girls (12 to 13 years old) with DCD, and their classification into high/low SES groups was done by using appropriate previously validated questionnaire. A short form of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOT-2), was used to assess fine motor precision, fine motor integration, manual dexterity, upper limb coordination, bilateral coordination, balance, strength, speed, agility, and overall MP level of the participants. Both high/low-SES groups completed a specifically prescribed Karate-Do intervention program for 8 consecutive weeks (3 sessions per week with each session lasting for 75 min). Results Results from this 8-week intervention showed that the pattern of change in manual dexterity, bilateral coordination, strength and the total MP score improved over time in both groups with varied socioeconomic backgrounds. Specifically, the high-SES group performed significantly better than their low-SES counterparts during the 8-week Karate-Do intervention (p < 0.05). Conclusions Following participants’ completion of the Karate-Do intervention, the existence of significant changes in the MP of adolescents’ with DCD at high/low SES confirmed our hypothesis. Compared to the low-SES group, adolescents with high SES displayed superior MP following the intervention. It seems that karate (kata) training serves as a good alternative for rehabilitation MP programs, however, an important issue concerning social infrastructure is to create a suitable exercise environment for adolescents at lower SES. Until the SES achievement gap in female adolescent MP is stable, future work is warranted to discover more practical and meaningful interventions.

Sensory integration research: priority scientific directions based on the analysis of Web of Science Core Collection resources

“…Another study [49] examined the effects of karate-do classes on improving the motor skills of adolescents with developmental coordination disorder. A short form of the Bruininks-Oseretsky test was used as the instrument.…”

“…In the study already cited [49], karate-do classes were used as an alternative to rehabilitation programs for developing motor skills. A special training program was conducted in adolescents with different socioeconomic statuses for 8 consecutive weeks (3 sessions per week, each session lasted 75 minutes).…”

Incorporating specific sambo exercises into distance learning for high school students aged 15-16

“…Engaging in sports, including martial arts, serves as an important form of daily physical activity for children and teenagers due to the numerous benefits for physical and mental health [3,4,5]. Activities such as martial arts can improve children's executive functions, enhance motor skills, and create a suitable environment for teenage engagement [6,7,8]. School sports activities are particularly effective for children with psychosocial difficulties and low academic performance [9].…”