Examining the Multifaceted Factors Underlying Infant Gross Motor Development: A Structural Equation Model

Abstract

Gross motor development in infancy is a key indicator of psychomotor maturation and is influenced by a range of individual, maternal and environmental factors. This study examined the relative contributions of individual, maternal and environmental factors to gross motor development in infants aged 3 to 8 months. This descriptive, cross-sectional study included 541 mother–infant dyads with infants aged 3 to 8 months. Gross motor skills were assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. Predictor variables were categorised into individual, maternal and environmental domains. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and supplementary regression analyses were conducted. Exploratory SEM analyses suggested that individual and environmental factors may be associated with gross motor development, with standardised coefficients of (−0.15) and (0.15), respectively. Supplementary regression analyses showed that several individual factors, particularly mastery motivation, birth season and child age, were significantly associated with gross motor development. Within the maternal domain, pre-pregnancy body mass index and mode of delivery were significantly associated with gross motor outcomes. Among environmental factors, father–infant attachment showed a potential association with gross motor development. These findings provide exploratory evidence suggesting that individual, maternal and environmental factors are associated with infant gross motor development, highlighting the multifactorial nature of early motor development. However, given the suboptimal fit of the SEM model, these results should be interpreted with caution and considered preliminary rather than confirmatory. Further studies using refined structural models are needed to clarify the relative contributions of these domains.