The impact of obesity on developmental coordination disorder in adolescence

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) as well as overweight and obesity are of increasing importance in the study of human development. Data on the relation between DCD and obesity in adolescence are of particular interest because both phenomena are unlikely to disappear with age. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of obesity on severe DCD in adolescence. A total of 99 obese adolescents aged between 11 and 16 years and 99 normal-weight controls matched for age and gender were included in this cross-sectional study. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2 (age band 3) was used to determine subjects’ stage of motor development. Results made clear that (i) obese show a higher severe DCD-risk in comparison to normal-weight adolescents (p < .01) which is (ii) most pronounced in balance (p < .01), and (iii) thereby rather appears in boys (p ≤ .10). Thus, our results at least do not exclude the possibility that obesity might have a detrimental effect on the etiopathology of DCD beyond childhood. Therefore, primary obesity prevention measures may additionally contribute to the prevention of a possible consolidation of severe DCD.

► Risk of severe DCD was higher in obese compared to normal-weight adolescents.
► Higher risk of severe DCD in obese was most pronounced in balance.
► Higher risk of severe balance DCD in obese was slightly more pronounced in boys.