GROWTH AND MOTOR-PERFORMANCE OF HEALTHY SENEGALESE PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN

Body dimensions, motor performance tests, and an aerobic stress test were measured on three different occasions on a group of 88 healthy Senegalese children, 3-6 years of age. The children were divided into 3 cohorts according to year of birth: 1985, 1984, and 1983. The children displayed linear growth approaching North American reference data but had significant weight deficits. Their growth, however, proceeded favorably compared to Senegalese children of the previous generation. In the group of children born in 1983, boys were more muscular and had less arm fat than girls. Motor performances of Senegalese children were inferior to those of European children, but after normalization by body mass, differences in jumping and throwing tasks tended to diminish. Step-wise regression showed that variations in motor performances were particularly due to age, body weight, and stature. The importance of nutritional factors is stressed to explain the development of performance and cardiorespiratory fitness of these children.