Motor skills in Peruvian preschool children: A cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric motor development
• Child psychology
• Human movement science

Background:

• Motor skills are crucial for daily activities, well-being, and child development.
• Children's motor development can be influenced by various internal and external factors.
• Understanding regional and demographic variations in motor skills is essential for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the motor skills of Peruvian children aged 3–6 years.
• To compare motor skill differences based on geographic region, sex, age, and educational institution type.
• To identify factors influencing gross motor development in young Peruvian children.

Main Methods:

• An observational study involving 265 children aged 3–6 years.
• Data collected from public and private institutions across three Peruvian regions: central (Lima), jungle (Tarapoto), and southern (Chincha Alta).
• Utilized the Test of Gross Motor Development, Third Edition (TGMD-3), with statistical analysis including Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and multiple linear regression.

Main Results:

• Significant regional differences in motor skills were observed, with children from the jungle and southern regions scoring higher than those from the central region.
• Girls demonstrated superior performance in locomotor skills compared to boys.
• Optimal motor performance was generally observed in children aged five years and six months and older.

Conclusions:

• Infant motor performance in Peru is significantly influenced by region, age, and sex.
• Future interventions should be tailored to these demographic variables to effectively enhance children's motor skills.
• Addressing regional and sex-based disparities is key to improving overall motor development in Peruvian children.