(16-08-10) Overweight Children and Their Parents Underestimate Physical Competence

Most overweight children and their parents ranked the children?s levels of physical competence lower, compared with normal weight children, based on data from a study of 1,414 children aged 9 and 11 years and their parents.
The study findings were published online in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport (J. Sci. Med. Sport 2010 [doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2010.04.002]).
The goal of the study was to compare children?s and parents? perceptions of physical competence in overweight vs. normal weight children, said Dr. Rachel A. Jones and her colleagues at the University of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia.
?Better understanding of these differences at different stages of development may lead to identifying more specific and appropriate intervention points to promote physical activity in overweight children,? the researchers wrote.
They evaluated 692 9-year-olds, of whom 189 (27%) were overweight or obese, and 722 11-year-olds, of whom 196 (27%) were overweight or obese. The average body mass indexes of the overweight and nonoverweight 9-year-olds and 11-year-olds were 22 kg/m2 and 17 kg/m2, respectively, and 18 kg/m2 and 25 kg/m2, respectively.
Among 9-year-olds, self-perceived physical competence was lower in overweight vs. normal weight children, but most of these differences were not statistically significant. There were two exceptions: Perceived ability to play new sports was significantly lower among overweight boys, and the overall perceived physical competence subtotal was higher in overweight girls.
Among 11-year-olds, boys who were overweight rated themselves as less competent in sports and outdoor games, and more likely to watch rather than participate, compared with their normal-weight peers. Similar trends were seen in 11-year-old girls. In addition, 11-year-old boys? and girls? scores for perceived athletic competence and total perceived physical competence were significantly lower, compared with their normal-weight peers.
The researchers then asked parents to rate their children?s overall ability to play sports and games and to rate the children on individual components, including running, throwing, catching, kicking, and jumping. Parents of overweight boys in both age groups perceived them as significantly less competent at running, jumping, skipping, leaping, and hopping than did parents of normal-weight boys. However, parents of overweight 9-year-old girls rated only their daughters? ability to run significantly lower than did parents of normal-weight 9-year-old girls. But for 11-year-olds, parents of overweight girls rated their daughters? ability to run, jump, and leap significantly lower than did parents of normal-weight girls.
Actual physical competence was assessed based on composite performance of four skills. Trained assessors who were blinded to the actual study goals tested 9-year-olds on their ability to hop, skip, side gallop, and throw. They tested the 11-year-olds on their ability to run, throw, catch, and strike. The actual composite scores for fundamental physical skills were significantly lower in overweight boys in both age groups, compared with normal-weight boys, but only differed significantly by weight in 11-year-old girls.
The researchers suggested that parents should reassure their overweight children that they are capable of engaging in sports and exercise, and encourage them to do so. Previous studies have shown that children?s perceptions of their physical abilities are affected by their parents? perceptions, they noted.
Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the results, but the current study findings support data from previous studies showing reduced physical competence in overweight or obese children, compared with leaner children. The data also suggest that interventions to improve physical competence in children younger than age 10 years could reduce the differences in both actual and perceived physical competence between normal-weight and overweight or obese children, the researchers added.

Dr. Jones and colleagues had no financial conflicts to disclose.

Source; univadis.it

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