Cultural Influences on Typical Gross Motor Development in Early Childhood: A Scoping Review

Guided by the developmental niche and integrated ecological frameworks, cultural practices (e.g., caregiving routines, parental beliefs and contextual affordances) may be associated with the timing and expression of motor milestones. However, the extent and nature of these associations worldwide remain unclear. How this literature defines typical development and conceptualizes culture is similarly unclear. The aim of this scoping review was to explore associations between cultural practices and typical gross motor (GM) development among children aged 0-5 years around the world, and map how included studies defined typical development, operationalized culture and studied these relationships.

Using the approach outlined by the Joanna Briggs Institute and in alignment with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) an a priori protocol was developed for this scoping review. A comprehensive search of APA PsycINFO (OVID & EBSCO), CINAHL Ultimate, ERIC, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science was conducted for English-language publications from 1994 to April 2025. Eligible studies examined cultural practices related to typical GM development in children aged 0-5 years. Data were extracted on cultural variables, definitions of typical development, GM outcomes and reported facilitators and barriers.

A total of 166 publications were included from 8145 screened records. Frequently examined cultural variables included geographic location (n = 109), socioeconomic status (SES) and home affordances (n = 105), ethnicity/race (n = 103) and social setting (n = 87). Higher SES, enriched home affordances, parental knowledge and expectations and access to preschool motor curricula were associated with more advanced GM development, consistent with an integrated ecological perspective. Limited space or resources, lower socioeconomic conditions, restrictive caregiver beliefs and reduced outdoor activity were associated with lower GM performance. Definitions of 'typical development' were inconsistent, with only 24 studies providing explicit criteria, and culture was operationalized variably across studies. The evidence base was predominantly cross-sectional.

Cultural context is consistently associated with variation in early GM development. Findings support interpreting motor performance through an integrated ecological lens, using culturally validated assessment tools to reduce misclassification of typical variation as delay and prioritizing longitudinal, globally representative research to inform equitable developmental surveillance and intervention planning.