Balance, Physical Activity, Anaerobic Performance, and Musculoskeletal Flexibility in Saudi Obese Children

Abstract

Background: Obesity is one of the most serious threats to health. There is a growing body of evidence that demonstrates the negative impact of obesity on physical health aspects. The influence of obesity on different physical parameters such as postural balance, physical activity, anaerobic performance, and musculoskeletal flexibility are either extremely limited in the literature or had contrasting lines of results. Objectives: To investigate the effect of childhood obesity on balance, physical activities, anaerobic performance, and musculoskeletal flexibility in Saudi children. Results: Our results revealed a significant difference between OB and NW groups in terms of postural balance in all stability indices at two stability levels (level 8 and level 4) with pvalues ≤ 0.05. The PA counts and the total vigorous activities duration were lesser in OB children than in NW children with p-values equal 0.03 and 0.02 respectively. With respect to the anaerobic performance, the SLJ distance was shorter in OB children than in NW peers with p-value = 0.009. In RAST, the average and peak values of the anaerobic power were higher in the OB participant when compared to the NW counterparts with p-values equal 0.002 and 0.009 respectively. In terms of musculoskeletal flexibility, the WBLT distance was shorter in OB versus NW with p-value = 0.01. In CE there was no significant difference between the two groups with p-value = 0.32. Conclusions: Obesity adversely influenced the different physical domains in Saudi children aged 6 to 11 years. The postural balance was impaired in the OB children at different stability levels and in all planes. OB children were less active than NW children in term of the total activity counts. They were less engaged in vigorous motor tasks. Besides, childhood obesity impacted the jumping distance adversely in the SLJ test. The calf muscles were less flexible in OB children than in NW children.