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Gross motor skills in toddlers: Prevalence and socio-demographic differences

Sanne L C Veldman1, Rachel A Jones1, Rute Santos2

  • 1Early Start, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Australia.

Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
|May 24, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Many toddlers have below-average gross motor skills (GMS), especially in locomotion. Early intervention focusing on locomotor skills and girls

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Motor Skill Acquisition
  • Pediatric Health

Background:

  • Gross motor skills (GMS) are fundamental for children's overall development and well-being.
  • Monitoring GMS is crucial for implementing effective early intervention strategies.
  • Understanding factors influencing GMS can guide targeted support for young children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the current level of GMS development in children aged 11-29 months.
  • To investigate how GMS vary by age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and socio-economic status.
  • To establish the prevalence of below-average GMS in a contemporary toddler population.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 335 children from 30 childcare services in NSW, Australia.
  • Gross motor skills assessed using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, Second Edition.
  • Socio-demographic data collected via parent questionnaires; statistical analyses included t-tests, chi-square, ANOVA, and regression.

Main Results:

  • 23.3% of children scored below average for the gross motor quotient; 34.3% were below average in locomotion.
  • Boys demonstrated superior object manipulation skills compared to girls (p=0.001).
  • GMS showed negative associations with increasing age and higher socio-economic status (p<0.05); no association with BMI was found.

Conclusions:

  • This study reveals a higher prevalence of below-average locomotor skills in toddlers than previously reported.
  • Early promotion of GMS, particularly locomotor skills, is recommended.
  • Interventions should consider focusing on enhancing object manipulation skills in girls.
Abstract

Keywords:
ChildrenEarly childhoodLocomotor skillsMotor developmentObject manipulationStability skills

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