Background: Childhood obesity may negatively impact key developmental domains, including motor competence (MC) and executive functions (EFs). This study evaluated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and MC, considering hot and cool EFs (hEFs and cEFs) as potential mediators in 8–11-year-old children.
Method: The was a cross-sectional study conducted in Hamedan, Iran, between 2023 and 2024. The study participants were 300 elementary school children (150 girls and 150 boys) randomly selected from two public schools. Motor competence (MC) was assessed using Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT); hEFs and cEFs were measured by applying the Balloon Analogue Risk Task and the Trail Making Test, respectively. Pearson correlation and hierarchical regression analyses were used for data analysis in SPSS version 26 (P<0.05).
Results: BMI was negatively correlated with MC (r= –0.308) and hEFs (r= –0.091), but demonstrated no significant correlation with cEFs. MC was positively associated with hEFs (r=0.189) but reversely correlated with cEFs (r= –0.176). Eventually, regression analysis indicated that BMI indirectly influenced MC through both hEFs (P=0.004) and cEFs (P=0.011).
Conclusions: Our findings revealed that the association between BMI and MC in children is mediated by hEFs and cEFs. Therefore, hEFs and cEFs should be taken into account when interpreting the relationship between BMI and MC, and improving motor competence may also benefit from children’s executive functioning and overall health.