The Influence of a 9-Week Movement Program on the Body Composition of 7- to 8-Year-Old Schoolchildren in the Eastern Cape of South Africa

Mere Idamokoro, Anita E. Pienaar (), Barry Gerber and Maria M. van Gent
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Mere Idamokoro: Focus Area of Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation (PhASRec), Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa
Anita E. Pienaar: Focus Area of Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation (PhASRec), Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa
Barry Gerber: Focus Area of Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation (PhASRec), Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa
Maria M. van Gent: Department of Human Movement Sciences, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-19

Abstract: Pediatric obesity has become a growing global epidemic which has negative health consequences, including for South African children. This study aimed to determine the immediate and sustainable influences of a 9-week movement program on the body composition of 7 to 8-year-old school children in a rural area of South Africa. A two group, pre-test, post-test and re-test after six months experimental design was used to compare anthropometric measurements of the intervention group (IG) and control group (CG). Ninety-three schoolchildren (IG = 57; CG = 36) participated in the study. A 9-week movement program was followed twice a week for 30 min during school hours with an emphasis on improving BMI. Hierarchical Linear Modelling (HLM) was used to analyze the data with time, sex and group as predictors. Effect sizes was computed based on the Cohen’s d to assess the practical significance of findings. The intervention positively changed the waist circumference. The subscapular skinfold and BMI showed statistical and practically significant sustainable changes because of the intervention, although gender influenced these effects. School based movement interventions, focusing on improving fundamental movement skills (FMS), have the potential to contribute to a healthier BMI, skinfold thickness and circumferences among young children.

Keywords: BMI; anthropometric characteristics; early childhood; fundamental motor skills; movement program; obesity; overweight; rural school children; sustainably (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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