Die voorkoms van DCD en die stand van fisieke fiksheid en fisieke aktiwiteit by plaaswerkerskinders : FLAGH-studie

Abstract

The occurrence of DCD is influenced by various factors such as environment, race and gender. Physical activity can influence the physical fitness, health, motor development and growth of children and is therefore important in the nurturing of a healthy lifestyle in children. The aim of this study is, firstly, to determine the occurrence of DCD in the 4 to 12 yearold group among the children of farmworkers and to see if there is any relationship between growth and levels of physical activity and the occurrence of DCD. The data was analysed by means of descriptive statistics, and an analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed up by analysis using Tukey-post hoc-tests. A second aim was to analyse the physical activity patterns and physical fitness of 4 to 16 year-old children of farmworkers, also with regard to the relationship between physical activity and physical fitness. The following statistical analyses were used to analyse statistics: an analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by a Tukey-post hoc-test, t-tests and the SAS-program. The sample of the investigation, from a farm in the North-West Province, consists of farm children between the ages of 4 and 16, only children between 4 and 12 were evaluated on the MABC test (Henderson & Sugden, 1992); and with reference to physical fitness variables (37 children; 19 girls and 18 boys) (Wood, 1997; Docherty, 1996; Brewer et al., 1988). They also completed the physical activity questionnaire (Trost et al., 1999) for a week plus one weekend day (only 9 to 16 year-old group, N = 19). Growth was analysed by means of anthropometric variables (height, mass, LMI and sub-scapular and triceps skinfolds). With regard to the first aim of the study, the results indicate that the occurrence of DCD and the levels of physical activity are slightly higher when compared with children of the same age group in the province (Thusa Bana-study). With regard to motor development of the children, the greatest deviation was found in problems of manual

dexterity, whilst the distribution of DCD was evenly spread between the sexes. No relationship was found between the extent of DCD and levels of physical activity. With reference to growth, what could be determined from the results was that nutritional levels could have a significant influence on motor development. With reference to the second aim of the study, the results indicated that in the 9 to 16 year-old group of farmworkers' children the levels of physical activity were reasonably high (moderate physical activity classification), which, from the analysis of their physical activity patterns, can largely be ascribed to walking and the work tasks performed on the farm . No significant relationship between physical activity and physical fitness, was also found. From the results it is recommended that nutrition and other environmental factors should be investigated which could influence DCD, physical activity and physical fitness, and that arm circumference measurements should be taken in order to investigate the relationship between nutrition and FA and DCD. It is recommended that an intervention programme, based on the results of this study, should be introduced to address the motor development deficiency.