Motor Coordination, Physical Activity Levels and Self-Perception in Italian Children with Obesity: Methodological Implications for Adapted Physical Activity at School

Background. Physical activity during the developmental age promotes health while sedentary behaviour is among the determinants of various non-communicable diseases. Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents is linked to increased sedentary lifestyle and reduced opportunities for energy expenditure. Recent studies show that a high percentage of children in Italy do not respect the WHO recommendations for carrying out their usual physical activities and have low levels of daily physical activity that affect motor coordination and self-perception. Methods. This study examined the relationships between physical activity, motor coordination and self-perception of a sample (N = 183) of primary school children in the Apulia Region (southern Italy), according to gender and weight differences (normal-weight vs over-weight vs obese). A self-report evaluated physical activity levels in the last week and self-perception. In addition, four motor tests were proposed, two of which were used in this study. Results. The results confirm previous studies on gender differences and highlight that overweight and obese child have lower physical activity levels, self-perception, and coordination performance than the normal weight group (p <0.05). Conclusions. Obesity impacts individual motor competencies. The school is the ideal setting for implementing adapted motor activity interventions, through teaching styles and strategies that favour the personalization of motor tasks, and building self-perception to increase physical activity levels.