Multimodal gross motor assessment of 5-year-olds; parental reports and movement sensors
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v70.117095Keywords:
Gender equity, outdoor play, parental perception , play activities, gross motor skillsAbstract
Introduction and Objective. Free air play and structured play activities are fundamental to motor development in early childhood. However, its implementation in Peruvian rural contexts has been scarcely explored. Given the key role of the environment and family beliefs in children's development, the present study aims to analyze parental perceptions about children's play and their relationship with the value of gross motor skills in five-year-old children in rural areas of Peru.
Methodology. A quantitative, experimental and cross-sectional approach was employed. The sample was composed by 277 priests of five-year-old children belonging to initial education institutions in Peru. To collect data, a questionnaire with a Likert scale was used, which asked about exposure to free play, activities directed, perception of safety of the surroundings and attitudes towards gender roles. The statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, the Kol-mogorov–Smirnov normality test, an ordinal logistic model and linear regression analysis.
Results. The data showed predominantly moderate to low perceptions regarding the frequency of free and structured play. However, two variables were significant predictors of a greater parental value of human motor skills: the perception of safety in the environment (OR = 2.55; p = 0.002) and gender-egalitarian activities (OR = 2.46; p = 0.005). These results were corroborated by positive coefficients in the linear regression model (β = 0.50 for security and β = 0.25 for gender equity).
Conclusions. The quality of the playful environment and equitable attitudes regarding gender roles directly influence the parental value of motor development in early childhood. Therefore, it is recommended to promote safe and inclusive play spaces in rural contexts and train families and educators in essential recreational practices that promote the integral and equitable motor development of children.
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