DOI: 10.4025/jphyseduc.v28i1.2827 J. Phys. Educ. v. 28, e2827, 2017. Original Article OVERWEIGHT AND BALANCE IN SCHOOLCHILDREN: A CASE-CONTROL STUDY EXCESSO DE PESO E EQUILÍBRIO DE ESCOLARES: ESTUDO DE CASO CONTROLE Lukas de Paula Cardoso 1 , Karina Pereira 2 , Dernival Bertoncello 2 , Shamyr Sulyvan de Castro 3 , Luiza Lara Moreira Fonseca 2 and Isabel Aparecida Porcatti de Walsh 2 1 Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia-MG, Brasil. 2 Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brasil. 3 Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil RESUMO O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a influência do índice de massa corporal no equilíbrio de escolares. Estudo de caso controle em que participaram 128 escolares de seis a nove anos, divididos em grupo caso (excesso de peso) e controle (eutróficos), cada um com 64 pessoas. Na avaliação de equilíbrio estático e dinâmico foi utilizada a Bateria Psicomotora. O IMC foi utilizado como indicador do estado nutricional. Para a análise estatística usou-se números absolutos, frequências e porcentagens e o teste de Qui Quadrado para comparação entre os grupos, com nível de significância de 5%. A maioria dos escolares apresenta melhor perfil psicomotor para o fator equilíbrio dinâmico do que no estático. Foram encontradas diferenças significativas apenas na subtarefa de ficar na ponta dos pés no equilíbrio estático (p<.05) sem diferenças significativas em outras variáveis. Palavras-chave: Índice de Massa Corporal. Equilíbrio postural. Criança. ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of body mass index (BMI) on the postural balance of schoolchildren. This was a case-control study involving 128 students aged 6 to 9 years, divided into a case group (overweight) and a control group (eutrophic) of 64 subjects each. Static and dynamic balance was assessed using Fonseca’s Psychomotor Battery. BMI was used as an indicator of nutritional status. Simple and relative frequencies, absolute numbers and the chi-square test were used for statistically analysis, with a level of significance of 5%. Most students performed better in dynamic than in static balance. Significant differences were only found for the subtask of standing on tiptoes in the static balance assessment (p<.05), with no significant differences in the other variables. Keywords: Body mass index. Postural balance. Child. Introduction Balance is the ability to maintain orientation through the integration of sensory information captured by the visual, vestibular and somatosensory systems, muscle activities and biomechanics of the body 1,2 . It is defined as the result of all the forces that act on the body. When we tend to be in the desired position and orientation we say that we are in static balance, whereas when we move in a controlled manner, we are in dynamic balance, which represents the basis of all dynamic global coordinations 3 . When performing motor actions there should be interaction between the person who executes them and the environment during a maintained posture 4 . Thus, during the development of the child, the control of balance will ensure postural stability and permit the execution of successful movements 5 . Alterations in balance can interfere with the child’s capacity to perform daily motor activities and to easily execute multiple tasks when adults 6 , with consequent quality of life concerns. In this respect, Rodrigues et al. 7 found that functionality was affected in children with hearing loss and balance alterations, since balance