Elaboration of the environmental stress hypothesis : results from a population-based 6-year follow-up

Abstract

Objective. The aim of this paper is the longitudinal elaboration of the environmental stress hypothesis (Cairney et al., 2013) on the basis of the MoMo study (Wagner et al., 2013). We assume that, in comparison to their typically developed peers, children with potential developmental coordination disorder (DCD) show a higher risk for persistent gross motor coordination problems (H1), overweight and obesity (H2), physical inactivity (H3), peer-relationship (H4) as well as internalizing (H5) problems in adolescents. Methods. MoMo (a) started with a population-based representative sample of 4,529 German children and adolescents aged between 4 and 17 years at baseline (2003–2006), (b) continued with a first follow-up (2009–2012) and (c) includes standardized motor tasks, a physical activity questionnaire, as well as various health-measures. We focus on children between 6 and 10 years at baseline (N = 1,674; Mage = 8.26, SD = 1.48; 50,6% boys) who were reexamined between the ages of 12 and 16 years (N = 929; response rate: 55,5%; Mage = 14.36, SD = 1.45; 49,0% boys). Children in the longitudinal sample diagnosed as having potential DCD at baseline (N = 111; 49,5% boys) were identified on the basis of three common gross motor coordination tasks using the age- and gender-specific 15th percentile cutoff. Data were analyzed with binary logistic regressions including the stability of the respective dependent variable. Results. In comparison to their typically developed peers, children with potential DCD show a higher risk for (i) persistent gross motor coordination problems (OR = 7.66, p < .01), (ii) overweight and obesity (OR = 1.78, p < .05), (iii) physical inactivity (OR = 7.31, p < .05), (iv) peer-relationship (OR = 1.48, p < .05) as well as (v) internalizing (OR = 1.53, p < .05) problems in adolescents. Conclusion. Our results provide evidence for the developmental impact of childhood DCD. Subsequent analysis will be focused on the mediating and moderating role of personal and social resources using the data of two subsequent survey waves (2014–2016; 2018–2020).