Relationship Between Participation in Leisure Time Physical Activities and Aerobic Fitness in Children With DCD.

The objectives of this study were to explore participation in leisure time physical activities (LTPAs) in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) compared with children developing typically as well as to examine the association between participation in LTPA and aerobic fitness. Thirty-eight children with DCD (aged 7–12 years) were age and gender matched with 38 children developing typically. Participation in LTPA was self-administered with an activity questionnaire, and aerobic fitness was estimated using a Shuttle Run Test. Children with DCD spent a significantly smaller amount of time in overall, nonorganized, and vigorous LTPA compared with children developing typically. Aerobic fitness was significantly lower for children with DCD. The best model, including age, group, and overall LTPA, explained 46.2% of the variance in aerobic fitness.

The study concluded that suitable physical activities ought to be encouraged in children with DCD, who have a low participation rate and aerobic fitness level.