Postural control in children with obesity: a cross-sectional comparison with normal-weight peers

Background: Childhood obesity is a global public health concern since an excess in body weight causes postural control problems and consequently leads to reduced motor control and impaired movement patterns with an increased risk of falls and injuries interfering with children’s daily life activities. The use of posturographic analysis together with adiposity level investigation could improve the assessment of postural impairments leading to tailored and more effective therapeutic approaches. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to evaluate and compare the different strategies used to maintain postural control between normal-weight children and children with obesity. Methods: A total of 33 Caucasian children (14 with obesity) were recruited. Anthropometric indexes were computed from the anthropometric measurements. Participants stood in an upright standing position, barefoot on the stabilometric platform, and performed two 30 s trials (eyes open – EO, and eyes closed – EC). Results: Results revealed a difference in postural control only in the minimum sway parameter under both EO and EC conditions. The BMI z-score and TMI indexes were positively associated with the sway length, delta X, and minimum sway parameters in EO conditions, while fewer and weaker associations were found in the EC condition. Conclusion: Our study did not highlight postural control impairments in prepubertal children with obesity when compared to their normal-weight peers. Despite some significant positive associations with postural control parameters, both the BMI z-score and the TMI indexes do not clearly predict postural control impairments in prepubertal children.