Metabolic syndrome in children with and without developmental coordination disorder.
Kids with motor coordination disorder already carry bigger bellies, higher blood fats, and higher blood pressure—so screen and intervene early.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Wahi et al. (2011) compared kids with and without probable developmental coordination disorder. They looked at waist size, blood fats, and blood pressure.
The team wanted to see if poor motor skills come with early signs of metabolic syndrome.
What they found
Kids with DCD had bigger bellies, higher triglycerides, and higher blood pressure. These are red flags for metabolic syndrome.
The study warns that movement problems and heart risk can start young.
How this fits with other research
Rivilis et al. (2011) reviewed 40 papers and found the same group is less fit and less active. The low activity helps explain the higher fat and blood pressure Gita saw.
Lifshitz et al. (2014) and Wagner et al. (2011) both show extra weight and DCD travel together. N et al. add that girls with DCD are especially prone to higher BMI. Oliver et al. flip the lens: obese teens are more likely to have severe DCD. Together they paint a two-way street: poor coordination leads to weight gain, and weight gain worsens coordination.
Chirico et al. (2011) and Chirico et al. (2012) tracked the same kids longer. They found the extra fat already makes the heart work harder by early adolescence. The rising cardiac output matches Gita’s metabolic warning signs and shows the risk is not just numbers on a chart—it is shaping the heart.
Why it matters
When you see a child with DCD, do not stop at motor goals. Add a quick screen for waist size, blood pressure, and activity level. Write brief exercise targets into the behavior plan—like 10-minute motor breaks or active games—to head off obesity and heart risk before they grow.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Measure waist circumference and add two 5-minute active movement breaks to each session.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) have higher rates of obesity compared to children with typical motor development, and, as a result may be at increased risk for developing metabolic syndrome (MetS). The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of MetS and its components among children with and without DCD. This nested case-control study classified 63 children scoring below the 16th percentile on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC-2) as probable DCD (pDCD), and 63 controls, all of whom scored above the 16th percentile. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Eleven children met the criteria for MetS; 8 (72.3%) with pDCD and 3 (27.3%) controls (p = 0.115). Abdominal obesity was found in 39 (30.9%) of children, 29 (46.0%) with pDCD and 10 (15.9%) controls (p < 0.01). Serum triglycerides were higher in pDCD compared to controls, 91.9 mg/dl (63.1) vs. 67.7 mg/dl (33.3) in the control group, p = 0.001. Blood pressure was also significantly higher in the pDCD group, mean systolic BP (110 vs. 105 mmHg, p = 0.01) and mean diastolic BP (69 vs. 65 mmHg, p = 0.01). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups for other components of MetS. The higher prevalence of abdominal obesity and elevated triglycerides and blood pressure in children with pDCD may put them at risk of meeting all criteria of MetS earlier then their peers.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2011 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.05.030