Lower-limb speed and foot preference in children

Area of Science:

• Developmental psychology
• Motor control
• Pediatric gross motor skills

Background:

• Foot preference is a key aspect of motor development in children.
• Previous research on handedness suggests potential performance disadvantages for non-right-handers.
• Understanding foot preference and its relation to motor performance is crucial for developmental assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate foot preference and its impact on gross-motor lower-limb speed of tapping in young children.
• To examine age-related changes in foot tapping speed and their association with neuromuscular development.
• To compare performance between right-footed, left-footed, and mixed-footed children.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 606 children aged 4–6 years participated in the study.
• Gross-motor lower-limb speed of tapping was measured.
• Statistical analyses were performed to assess effects of age, gender, and foot preference.

Main Results:

• Foot tapping speed significantly increased with age, indicating developmental influences.
• No significant gender differences were observed in foot tapping performance.
• Contrary to expectations, left-footed and mixed-footed children did not show a performance disadvantage; however, all groups performed best with their right foot.

Conclusions:

• Motor performance, specifically foot tapping speed, develops significantly between ages 4 and 6.
• Foot preference does not appear to confer a performance disadvantage in this age group.
• Further research into maturational and environmental factors influencing foot preference and motor skills is warranted.