Abstract:
Baerg, S., Cairney, J., Hay, J., Rempel, L. and Faught, B.E. (2009). Physical
Activity of Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder in the Presence of
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Does Gender Matter? Brock University,
St. Catharines, Ontario, CANADA.
Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) have difficulties in
motor coordination. Attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is considered
the condition most co-morbid with DCD at approximately 50%. Children with
DCD are generally less physically active (PA) than their peers, while children with
ADHD are often considered more physically active. It is not known if the physical
activity patterns of children with DCD-ADHD resemble those of children with
primarily DCD or that of their healthy peers. The primary objective of this
research was to contrast physical activity patterns between children with DCD,
DCD-ADHD, and healthy controls. Since boys are generally reported as more
physically active than girls, a secondary objective was to determine if gender
moderated the association between groups and physical activity. A sample of
males (n=66) and females (n=44) were recruited from the Physical Health Activity
Study Team (PHAST) longitudinal study. The Movement Assessment Battery for
Children (2nd Ed.) was used to identify probable cases of DCD, and Connor's
Revised Parent Rating Scale- Short Version to identify ADHD. Subjects (mean
age=12.8±.4 yrs) were allocated to three groups; DCD (n=32), DCD-ADHD
(n=30) and control (n=48). Physical activity was monitored for seven days with
the Actical® accelerometer (activity count, step count and energy expenditure).
Children completed the Participation Questionnaire (PQ) during the in-school
session of data collection for the PHAST study. Height, weight and body mass
index (BMI) were also determined. Analysis of variance showed significant group
differences for activity count (F(2,56)=5.36, p=.007) and PQ (F(2,44 )=6. 71,
p=.003) in males, while a significant group difference for step count
(F(2,37)=3.55, p=.04) was found in females. Post hoc comparison tests (Tukey)
identified significantly lower PQ and activity count between males with OCD and
controls (p=.004) and males with DCD-ADHD and controls (p=.003). Conversely,
females with DCD-ADHD had significantly more step counts than their controls
(p=.01). Analysis of covariance demonstrated a gender by DCD groups negative
interaction for males (activity count) (F(2,92):;:3.11, p=.049) and a positive
interaction for females (step count) (F(1,92)=4.92, p=.009). Hyperactivity in
females with DCD-ADHD appears to contribute to more physical activity,
whereas DCD may contribute to decreased activity in males with DCD and DCDADHD.
Further research is needed to examine gender differences in physical
activity within the context of DCD and ADHD.
