Relationship between Fine Motor Skills and BMI of Preschool Children

The study aimed to determine the relationship between fine motor skills and BMI categories of preschool children 5-6 (6.14±.43) years of age (body height 118.86±5.96 cm, body mass 22.88±4.68 kg). 129 subjects, preschool children (59 boys and 70 girls) participated in this transversal study. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated based on measures of body height and body mass, and WHO cutoff points were used to create BMI categories while fine motor skills were determined using two Bruininks-Oseretsky (BOT-2) subtests for children's motor efficiency. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between the variables. The results showed a significant negative correlation between BMI and fine motor integration (r=-.235, p<.001), manual dexterity (r=-.290, p<.001), and the overall result of fine motor skills (r=-.342, p<.001). These results indicate that in addition to the significant connection between gross motor skills and basic motor skills, proven by numerous previous studies, higher BMI also has a negative effect on the fine motor skills of children, even in preschool age. Overweight children have lower scores on fine motor skills tests compared to normal weight children, which can have consequences for motor development in later life.