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Articles

The Relationship Between Motor Competence Physical Activity Cardiorespiratory Fitness and BMI in UK Adolescents

Pages 482-488 | Received 11 May 2023, Accepted 31 Aug 2023, Published online: 24 Oct 2023
 

ABSTRACT

Purpose: This study set out to identify the extent of the relationships between subsections of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2nd Edition - MABC2 (manual dexterity, aiming and catching, and balance) to PA, CRF and BMI in adolescents. Methods: Height, BMI, the MABC2, a 20m shuttle run test and wrist-worn accelerometery PA levels (mins) were measured. Multivariable linear regression models, adjusting for sex, height and BMI were used to assess the relationship of the three subsections of the MABC2 with PA, CRF and BMI. Results: A total of 155 adolescents, aged 13-14 years, took part in this study (77 girls, 78 boys). Balance reported significant relationships with moderate to vigorous PA (unstandardised Beta B=0.15, 95%CI 0.02-0.28), vigorous PA (B=0.06, 95%CI 0.02-0.09) and BMI (B=-0.01, 95%CI -0.02-0.005). Balance in addition to aiming and catching skills were both significantly related to adolescent CRF (B=0.30, 95%CI 0.17-0.42 and B=0.29, 95%CI 0.14-0.45, respectively). Conclusion: This study suggests that balance is the strongest correlate skill to achieving the highest intensities of PA and healthier BMI status in adolescents.           

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the staff and students from the Centre for Movement, Occupational and Rehabilitation Sciences (MOReS) department at Oxford Brookes University, who helped with the data collection. We would also like to thank all physical education (PE) teachers, especially the head of PE, and the students who helped organize the data collection days and took part in the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The study was funded jointly by Action Medical Research and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Charitable Trust (GN2445). Additional funding was received from the Sport England Community 385 Sport Activation Fund (CSAF) initiative (2013018570). Individual funding was received by Professor Helen Dawes from the Elizabeth Carson Trust and the NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Centre, Dr Johnny Collett from the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, and by Dr Shawn Joshi from the US-UK Fulbright Commission.