Day III: Saturday, March 25, 2023; 9.00 AM Plumeria 3: Health of School Children/ Adolescents: AB No: 119 Motor development profile of South Indian Children on Peabody Developmental of Motor Scale- 2: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose: An estimated 63.4 million Indian children under 5 years are at risk of poor development. Prevention of the negative effects is dependent on the early identification of motor impairment using reliable and valid assessment tools. However, normative values established using standard tools in the country that the tools originated in, have shown variations in gross motor development in children with different ethnic origins. The study aims to determine the motor competency of south Indian children aged 1-71 months and compare their performance with the US norms. Participants: Apparently healthy infants between 1 and 71 months residing in Belagavi city. Methods: 1170 infants were recruited with probability proportional to the population size sampling method. PDMS-2 was administered and the obtained raw scores were converted to standard scores and quotients. Results: Analysis of variance showed a main effect of age on all PDMS-2 subtests (minimum Welch’s F = 74.1, p < 0.001). The mean standard scores for each motor subtest increased throughout the age group. Overall, Indian children showed significantly higher scores on the Fine Motor Quotient in all age groups (all p’s < 0.001, with moderate effect size); and significantly lower scores on the Gross Motor Quotient (all p’s <0.036, with small effect size). Conclusion: The results suggest that Indian and US children have different motor development profiles. The cultural differences underline the need to interpret the test results with caution especially if this instrument is used in clinical settings in order to diagnose motor delays and plan future interventions. Implication: Normative data are of enormous importance to primary care practitioners as it helps to recognize developmental milestones in children and aids to understand the value of early intervention.