title: Health-related physical fitness in Dutch children with developmental coordination disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare components of health-related physical fitness between Dutch children with clinically diagnosed developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and typically developing children (TDC), and to examine associations between motor performance problems and components of health-related fitness in children with DCD.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicenter case-control study was used to compare health-related physical fitness in children with DCD (N = 38; age, 7-12 years; 10 girls and 28 boys) with that in age- and gender-matched TDC. Motor coordination problems (manual dexterity, ball and balance skills) were assessed using the movement assessment battery for children. Health-related physical fitness was indicated by (1) cardiorespiratory fitness, (2) muscle strength, and (3) body mass index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly lower values of cardiorespiratory fitness (6.7% lower maximal cardiorespiratory fitness) were found in children with DCD compared with TDC. Extension and flexion of the elbow and flexion of the knee were also significantly lower (by 15.3%, 16.7%, and 18.4%, respectively) in DCD children compared with TDC. A significant negative and large association was found between cardiorespiratory fitness and balance performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength in children with clinically diagnosed DCD compared with TDC support the importance of examining and training cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength, besides the regular attention for motor coordination problems.
authors.affiliation: Center for Rehabilitation, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. f.d.van.der.hoek@cvr.umcg.nl
authors.forename: Frouwien D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: van der Hoek
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stuive
authors.forename: Heleen A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Reinders-Messelink
authors.forename: Lian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Holty
authors.forename: Alida C E
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: de Blécourt
authors.forename: Carel G B
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Maathuis
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Weert
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D009426:Netherlands; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology