Physical activity and fitness in children with developmental coordination disorder: a systematic review.
Kids with DCD are less fit mostly because poor coordination hides their true strength and turns them off activity, so test with coordination-friendly tools and pair fitness drills with social praise.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Irina and her team read every paper they could find on kids with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). They pulled together 40 studies that measured how fit and active these children are.
The review looked at aerobic power, muscle strength, flexibility, and how much kids moved each day.
What they found
Across all 40 studies, children with DCD scored lower on most fitness tests. They could not run as long, were not as strong, and moved less during the day.
Flexibility results were mixed—some kids were tight, some were not.
How this fits with other research
Berkovits et al. (2014) explain why the scores are low: the problem is not weak muscles. Kids with DCD trip over the test movements themselves, so repeated jump-and-reach tasks look worse than simple strength pulls.
Farhat et al. (2014) add lab proof. They ran cycle tests and found lower VO2max, smaller lung volumes, and shorter six-minute-walk distances in elementary students with DCD.
Carter et al. (2013) show the gap is also in the mind. Boys with DCD were less active because they did not think exercise was fun and felt peers would tease them. The fitness deficit has both body and social parts.
Why it matters
When you test a child with DCD, pick tools that limit coordination noise—use static strength grips or stationary bikes instead of shuttle runs. Plan sessions that build both skill and confidence: short, clear tasks with peer praise built in. Add brief aerobic games every day; the review and later papers agree the gap starts early and links to later heart-health risks. Track activity with simple step counts and celebrate small wins so the child wants to move again tomorrow.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by poor motor proficiency that interferes with a child's activities of daily living. Activities that most young children engage in such as running, walking, and jumping are important for the proper development of fitness and overall health. However, children with DCD usually find these activities challenging. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to synthesize the recent available data on fitness and physical activity in children with DCD, and to understand the extent of the differences between children with DCD and their typically developing peers. Systematic searches of electronic databases and reference lists identified 40 peer-reviewed studies meeting the inclusion criteria. These studies were reviewed in terms of: (a) study design, (b) population, (c) assessment tools, (d) measures, and (e) fitness and physical activity outcomes. It has been demonstrated that body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength and endurance, anaerobic capacity, power, and physical activity have all been negatively associated, to various degrees, with poor motor proficiency. However, differences in flexibility were not conclusive as the results on this parameter are mixed. Studies' limitations and the impact of results on future work are discussed.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2011 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.01.017