Relationship Between Gross Motor Function and Selected Indices of Body Composition in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Objectives Body composition describes the amount of fat mass (FM) in comparison with the amount of fat-free mass (FFM) in the body. This study aimed to provide a better understanding of the relationship between gross motor function and selected indices of body composition, including weight, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, BMI, and skinfold thickness, among children with cerebral palsy (CP), as this area has not received significant research attention in Nigeria. Material and Methods This was a correlational study involving 48 children with CP who were recruited from the physiotherapy outpatient clinics of Oni Memorial Children’s Hospital and University College Hospital using a purposive sampling technique. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the results at an alpha level of ≤ 0.05. The study comprised 32 males and 16 females with a mean age of 37.69±27.36 months. Most (41.7%) of the children were on GMFCS level V. The average weight of the children was 10.70±4.21 kg, and their BMI averaged 12.88±2.83 kg/m 2 . Waist circumference and waist-hip ratio were measured with an average of 43.13±6.75 cm and 0.98±0.25, respectively. Triceps skinfold thickness, skinfold thickness over the thighs, and skinfold thickness over the abdomen averaged 7.13±3.04 mm, 9.28±4.11 mm, and 6.17±3.10 mm, respectively. Results There was a significant and strong linear relationship between gross motor function and weight of children with CP. Additionally, a significantly positive but weak linear relationship was found between the GMFM (gross motor function measure) and BMI (body mass index), as well as with the waist circumference of the children. Conversely, a negative relationship was found between the GMFM and waist-hip ratio of the children with CP. Additionally, a weak but positive relationship was observed between the GMFM and triceps skinfold thickness (SFT) of children with cerebral palsy, as well as between their GMFM and abdominal SFT. Conclusion The outcome of this study revealed that weight, BMI, waist circumference, triceps skinfold thickness, and abdominal skinfold thickness showed a significant positive relationship with GMFM, while the waist-hip ratio showed a significant negative relationship with GMFM in children with CP. Therefore, healthcare professionals should consider prioritising the improvement of body composition as part of rehabilitation programmes for children with CP.