Motor Competence as a Protection Factor Against Pediatric Obesity: The Bidirectional Relationship Between Motor Competence and Weight Status

Purpose: Motor competence is negatively associated with body mass index (BMI) in young people. However, it is still unclear whether motor competence is linked to the risk of obesity in adolescents and longitudinal evidence is missing. The main purpose of this study was to assess the association between motor competence and risk of obesity across adolescence. Methods: A 2-year follow-up study was conducted with a total of 122 adolescents (59.8% girls) aged 12 to 13 years at baseline. Motor competence (KTK), weight status (BMI) and physical activity (questionnaire) were assessed at three time points. Generalized estimating equation and logistic regression models were conducted to examine the relationships between motor competence and weight status, adjusting for potential confounders (i.e. age, sex and physical activity). Results: Motor competence and BMI were inversely related over time. The chance to have overweight/obesity decreased by 6.5% and 8% with a 10-point increase in motor competence across time. In addition, adolescents had 6.4 to 8.2 greater chance to have low motor competence with a 1-point increase in BMI across time. Conclusion: Motor competence is inversely associated with the risk of overweight/obesity across adolescence. Therefore, the development of motor competence can be a protection factor against excessive weight gain. As such, we recommend the development of motor competence as a strategy to prevent pediatric obesity through diversified types of physical activities such as sports, active play and physical education classes.