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. 2022 May 5;17(5):e0267665.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267665. eCollection 2022.

Gross motor skills trajectory variation between WEIRD and LMIC countries: A cross-cultural study

Nadia Cristina Valentini  1 , Glauber Carvalho Nobre  2 , Marcelo Gonçalves Duarte  3
Affiliations

Gross motor skills trajectory variation between WEIRD and LMIC countries: A cross-cultural study

Nadia Cristina Valentini et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to examine the prevalence of delays and borderline impaired performance for Brazilian girls and boys and the differences in the motor trajectories (locomotor and ball skills) of girls and boys (3- to 10-years-old) across WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, and Democratic) countries and Brazil-a low- and middle-income country (LMIC).

Methods: We assessed 1000 children (524 girls; 476 boys), 3- to 10.9-year-old (M = 6.9, SD = 2.1; Girls M = 6.9, SD = 2.0; Boys M = 6.9, SD = 2.1), using the Test of Gross Motor Development-3. Using systematic search, original studies investigating FMS in children using the TGMD-3 were eligible; 5 studies were eligible to have the results compared to the Brazilian sample. One sample t-test to run the secondary data from Irish, American, Finnish, and German children (i.e., mean, standard deviation).

Results: The prevalence of delays and borderline impaired performance was high among Brazilian girls (28.3% and 27.5%) and boys (10.6% and 22.7%). The cross-countries comparisons showed significant (p values from .048 and < .001) overall lower locomotor and ball skills scores for Brazilian children; the only exceptions were skipping, catching, and kicking. We observed stability in performance, across countries, after 8-years-old, and no ceiling effects were found in the samples.

Conclusions: The Brazilian sample emphasized the need for national strategies to foster children's motor proficiency. Differences in motor opportunities may explain the differences in motor trajectories between children in WEIRD and LMIC countries.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. PRISMA flow diagram for the systematic review.
Fig 2
Fig 2
Motor trajectory for LOCS (2a) and BS (2b) for girls across countries.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Individual locomotor skills trajectories for girls across countries (each skill maximum score is the reference).
Fig 4
Fig 4. Individual ball skills trajectories for girls across countries (each skill maximum score is the reference).
Fig 5
Fig 5
Motor trajectories for LOCS (5a) and BS (5b) for boys across countries.
Fig 6
Fig 6. Individual locomotor skills trajectories for boys across countries (each skill maximum score is the reference).
Fig 7
Fig 7. Individual ball skills for boys across countries (each skill maximum score is the reference).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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