Assessment of body composition using whole body air-displacement plethysmography in children with and without developmental coordination disorder.
Kids with developmental coordination disorder carry more body fat than peers, and the worse their motor skills, the higher the fat—so monitor weight status closely.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Cairney et al. (2011) used a body-scanning machine called air-displacement plethysmography. They compared body fat and lean tissue in kids with probable developmental coordination disorder and typical peers.
The design was quasi-experimental: kids came in, got a quick motor test, then had the five-minute body scan.
What they found
Children with worse motor scores carried more body fat. The gap grew as coordination dropped. Lean mass stayed the same in both groups.
In plain words: clumsier kids were fatter, not just lighter muscle.
How this fits with other research
McGonigle et al. (2014) extends the picture. They tracked free-play activity with pedometers and saw the same DCD group moving less during recess. Less play fits the extra fat John found.
Bowen et al. (2012) adds bone age to the story. Low activity explained delayed bone growth in DCD. Extra fat, late bones, and low play cluster together.
Baerg et al. (2011) looks like a contradiction at first: girls with DCD plus ADHD actually logged more steps than peers. The key is comorbidity. When ADHD hyperactivity rides along, step counts rise, but that does not erase the fat gap seen in pure DCD.
Why it matters
If you serve kids with DCD, treat motor goals and weight goals as a package. Schedule brief body-fat checks at intake. Pair coordination drills with fun, high-intensity games to burn fat and build bone. Watch for the ADHD subgroup; they may move plenty yet still need help with skilled movement.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a neuro-developmental disorder characterized by poor fine and/or gross motor coordination. Children with DCD are hypothesized to be at increased risk for overweight and obesity from inactivity due to their motor coordination problems. Although previous studies have found evidence to support this hypothesis, their reliance on field-based measures, most notably body mass index (BMI), to determine body composition is problematic. Moreover, there has been no research to date that has examined whether THERE ARE differences in lean tissue mass between children with and without coordination. Differences in muscle mass, the main component of lean tissue, may be a contributing factor to both coordination problems and the development of overweight and obesity, but has only been indirectly examined at this time. In this study, whole-body air displacement using a dual chamber plethysmograph was used to estimate fat mass, fat free mass and body fat in children with probable DCD (pDCD) and a group of typically developing children. Consistent with previous research using field-based assessments of relative body weight, the results show that children with pDCD have much higher body fat than their peers, and that this difference increases with the severity of observed motor coordination difficulties. There was no difference in lean tissue mass between groups. The demonstration of an association between pDCD and body fat using a more sensitive measure of body composition, and evidence showing a dose-response in this relationship, further supports the hypothesis that DCD may be a risk factor for obesity in children.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2011 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2010.10.011