Motor development opportunities present in the homes of schoolchildren aged 18 to 36 months in the most populous neighborhood of a southeastern Brazilian capital

Abstract

Introduction: The individual aspects of each child, the tasks they perform and the environment in which they live are crucial for motor development. Objective: To understand the opportunities for motor development present in the residences of children between eighteen and thirty-six months of age in the most populous neighborhood of a capital in the southeastern region of Brazil. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional, observational, and analytical study was carried out with legal guardians of children in public early childhood education, who answered the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development - Self Report questionnaire (AHEMD – SR) in the Portuguese version. Homes were classified and the descriptive statistical analysis and   the Pearson's correlation test were performed. Results: The children's mean age was 21.9 months (SD= 3.6). Of the 37 residences assessed, 22% had a low rating for the opportunities offered, and 78.5% a medium rating. Most of the indoor and outdoor spaces of the residences were classified as good promoters and very good promoters of opportunities, respectively. Regarding the materials and toys available for the development of fine and gross motor skills, most residences did not offer enough opportunities or offered few opportunities. The correlations between the total score of the AHEMD and the variables of father's education, monthly family income, number of children and bedrooms in the residences were, weak and positive, and the mother's education and age of the children, weak and negative. Conclusion: The indoor and outdoor spaces of the residences are adequate, but there are not enough toys for the development of fine and gross motor skills. The socioeconomic level of the families interferes with the opportunities for motor development in the residences.