title: Waist circumference as a mediator of biological maturation effect on the motor coordination in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to: 1) examine the association of biological maturation effect on children's performance at a motor coordination battery and 2) to assess whether the association between biological maturation and scores obtained in motor coordination tests is mediated by some anthropometric measurement.
  
  
  METHODS
  The convenience sample consisted of 73 male children aged 8 years old. Anthropometric data considered the height, body mass, sitting height, waist circumference, body mass index, fat mass and fat-free mass estimates. Biological maturation was assessed by the percentage of the predicted mature stature. Motor coordination was tested by the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder. A partial correlation between anthropometric measurements, z-score of maturation and the motor coordination tests were performed, controlling for chronological age. Finally, causal mediation analysis was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Height, body mass, waist circumference and fat mass showed a slight to moderate inverse correlation with motor coordination. Biological maturation was significantly associated with the balance test with backward walking (r=-0.34). Total mediation of the waist circumference was identified in the association between biological maturation and balance test with backward walking (77%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We identified an association between biological maturation and KTK test performance in male children and also verified that there is mediation of waist circumference. It is recommended that studies be carried out with female individuals and at other age ranges.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Cineantropometria, Atividade Física e Promoção da Saúde (Lacaps), Universidade Federal de Alagoas (Ufal), Arapiraca, AL, Brasil; Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Leonardo G O
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Luz
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação em Atividade Física, Saúde e Lazer (CIAFEL), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seabra
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação em Antropologia e Saúde (CIAS), Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Padez
authors.affiliation: Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: João P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rebelo-Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Universidade Lusofona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Valente-Dos-Santos
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Cineantropometria, Atividade Física e Promoção da Saúde (Lacaps), Universidade Federal de Alagoas (Ufal), Arapiraca, AL, Brasil.
authors.forename: Tatiana D D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Luz
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Cineantropometria, Atividade Física e Promoção da Saúde (Lacaps), Universidade Federal de Alagoas (Ufal), Arapiraca, AL, Brasil.
authors.forename: Bruno C M
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Carmo
authors.affiliation: Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. Electronic address: mjcesilva@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coelho-E-Silva
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D055105:Waist Circumference
keywords: Anthropometrics; Antropometria; Aptidão física; Biological maturation; Children; Crianças; Maturação biológica; Physical fitness