Assessment of body composition using whole body air-displacement plethysmography in children with and without developmental coordination disorder

▶ Although children with DCD are hypothesized to be at increased risk for obesity from inactivity due to their motor coordination problems, previous studies have relied on field-based measures, most notably body mass index (BMI), to determine body composition. BMI does not provide a sensitive estimate of body fat in children. ▶ 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. ▶ 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.