Bronchiectasis may delay fundamental movement skill and growth in children: Study

However, there are no data on fundamental movement skills. Those children who meet their age equivalency for fundamental movement skills proficiency participate in significantly more daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity than children who do not meet their age-equivalency, suggested a recent study conducted at the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

The study is published in the BMC Pulmonary Medicine.

The current study assessed fundamental movement skills proficiency in children with bronchiectasis and examined associations with objectively measured physical activity.

Forty-six children with bronchiectasis were recruited for the study. Physical activity was measured using the ActiGraph GT3X + accelerometer. Raw accelerometer data were processed into daily time spent in sedentary activities, light-intensity activities and games, walking, running, and moderate-to-vigorous activities and games using a random forest (RF) physical activity classification algorithm specifically developed for children.

Daily moderate-vigorous physical activity was calculated by summing time spent in walking, running, and moderate-to-vigorous activities and games.

The following findings were highlighted-

a. Fewer than 5% of children demonstrated mastery in the run, gallop, hop, and leap; while fewer than 10% demonstrated mastery for the two-handed strike, overarm throw, and underarm throw.

b. Only eight of the 46 children (17.4%) achieved their age equivalency for locomotor skills, while just four (8.7%) achieved their age equivalency for object control skills.

c. Children achieving their age equivalency for fundamental movement skills had significantly higher levels of moderate-vigorous physical activity than children not achieving their age equivalency.

d. No significant differences were observed for sedentary activities, light-intensity activities and games, walking, and running.

As a result, it was concluded that children with bronchiectasis exhibit significant delays in their fundamental movement skills development.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-021-01637-w