School intervention with recreational motor activity for overweight children

Abstract

The objective of this study was to verify the effect of a 12-week school intervention with recreational motor skills on parameters of body weight control, motor competence, and physical fitness in overweight students. The sample included 26 overweight children evaluated before and after a 12-week intervention period with recreational activities. Total body mass, height, abdominal circumference, skinfolds, physical fitness, and motor competence tests were collected. Results showed that recreational physical training significantly impacted on relative body fat reduction (pre = 28.3%; post = 26.1%, p = .03) and abdominal adiposity (pre = 71.0 cm; post = 68.1 cm, p = .04). A positive effect was observed on motor quotient, derived from better motor competence. The recreational physical training program was effective in reducing global and abdominal adiposity, as well as facilitating significant increases in motor competence, and cardiorespiratory and muscle physical fitness.