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Do environmental influences alter motor abilities acquisition? A comparison among children from day-care centers and

Karla Mônica F T de Barros1, Andreza Gusmão Câmara Fragoso, Andréa Lemos Bezerra de Oliveira

  • 1Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife PE, Brasil. karla_monica@hotmail.com

Arquivos De Neuro-Psiquiatria
|June 14, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Environmental factors significantly impact children's motor development. Key risks include father absence, inappropriate toys, and low socioeconomic status, affecting even biologically healthy children.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Environmental Health
  • Motor Skills Research

Background:

  • Child development is influenced by a complex interplay of genetic inheritance and environmental factors.
  • Understanding environmental influences is crucial for optimizing early childhood development.
  • Motor development is a key indicator of overall child well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify specific environmental risk factors affecting motor development in preschool-aged children.
  • To compare motor skills between children from different early childhood education settings.
  • To investigate the relationship between environmental factors and fine motor skill acquisition.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 100 preschool-aged children (five years old) from two public day-care centers and one private school in Recife-PE were evaluated.
  • Motor skills assessment was conducted for all participating children.
  • Parents completed questionnaires detailing environmental and socioeconomic factors.

Main Results:

  • Children attending public day-care centers demonstrated deficits in fine motor skills compared to peers.
  • Identified environmental risk factors included father absence, age-inappropriate toy use, suboptimal early childhood environments, lack of pedagogical guidance, limited extra-parental socialization, and low family socioeconomic status.
  • These factors negatively influenced the motor development of biologically healthy children.

Conclusions:

  • Environmental risk factors can significantly impede motor development, even in healthy children.
  • Early identification and mitigation of these environmental factors are essential for promoting optimal child development.
  • Socioeconomic status and family environment play a critical role in motor skill acquisition.

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