![]() Ultimately, it’s important to assess children’s motor competency and cognitive function in early childhood so potential developmental delays are monitored and appropriate actions are taken early on. Daley and Birchwood also suggested that enhancing children’s cognitive function and providing tools for motor enhancement (fidget spinner, stress ball) could be helpful strategies to indirectly improve academic performance. A previous literature review synthesized research in preschoolers, children, adolescents, and adults infered underperformance in academics are ingrained from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and underlying cognitive deficits ( Daley and Birchwood, 2010). Children that demonstrate motor delays are also likely to incur cognitive and academic struggles ( Cameron et al., 2012). ![]() Mastery of these movements through learning, practice, and reinforcement is essential for a child’s independence and positive developmental trajectory in physical, motor, and cognitive health as they mature ( Logan et al., 2012). FMS including locomotor skills (e.g., running, galloping, jumping, hopping, and sliding) and ball skills (e.g., catching, throwing, kicking, and dribbling) are introduced and learned in early childhood years ( Lloyd et al., 2014 Kipling Webster and Ulrich, 2017). Proficiency in FMS can be used as an indicator to gauge children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development ( McClelland and Cameron, 2019 Viegas et al., 2021). ![]() FMS are goal-derived basic gross motor skills that form specific skilled movements and functioning for daily activities ( Kipling Webster and Ulrich, 2017). The evidence suggests that obesity may have detrimental effects on development trajectory and related indicators such as fundamental motor skills (FMS) and cognitive functioning, especially during early childhood ( Khalaj and Amri, 2013 Chang and Gu, 2018 Eichen et al., 2018).Įarly childhood is a crucial time for assessing and augmenting specific developmental skills and potential social determinants, especially given how health disparities have been further enlarged during the COVID-19 pandemic ( Krombholz, 2013 Martin et al., 2016 López-Bueno et al., 2020). Research has consistently reported how obesity contributes to health and educational disparities and its association with poorer academic performance in childhood, especially in children with a disadvantaged and low socioeconomic status ( Winter and Sass, 2011). ![]() This evidence widens the need for more research in the early childhood stage (3–5 years old) in order to establish a clearer consensus on the effects of weight status on other developmental and health-related outcomes. A recent meta-analysis included 52 studies and noted that children and adolescents (5–18 years old) that were obese were 1.4–26.1 times more likely to have metabolic comorbidities and/or psychological issues than healthy weight peers ( Sharma et al., 2019). Children categorized as overweight/obese pose themselves at a higher risk for developmental delays and poorer fundamental school readiness skills compared to their healthy weight counterparts ( Kelsey et al., 2014 Pearce et al., 2016). which has increased by almost 4 million children over the last 6 years ( CDC Division of Nutrition, 2021). Maintaining healthy weight status is critical for cognitive development among preschoolers, which may influence their developmental trajectory and school readiness.Īccording to the recent report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, over 45 million children aged 2–5 years old are categorized as overweight/obese in the U.S. No significant gender or SES disparities were observed. Children in the overweight/obese group performed significantly worse on all cognitive tests compared to healthy weight peers ( ps < 0.05 Cohen’s d range from −0.93 to −1.43). There were 74 preschoolers (girl = 38 M age = 4.02 ± 0.73) recruited from two childcare centers and were categorized into healthy weight ( n = 58, BMI percentile 0.05 ball skill Cohen’s d = 0.40 locomotor Cohen’s d = 0.02). overweight/obese) and socio-demographic (i.e., gender, SES) disparities in FMS (locomotor and ball skills) and cognitive function (reaction time and movement time ), in preschoolers. Using a cross-sectional design, the purpose of this study was to investigate obesity (healthy weight vs. Fundamental motor skills (FMS) and cognitive function are important indicators of development in early childhood. ![]()
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