Motor skills in Peruvian preschool children: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Motor skills encompass a series of movements essential for daily activities and have been associated with well-being and child development. However, there are various external and internal conditions that can affect children's motor development. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to analyze the motor skills of Peruvian children aged three to six years and compare differences based on region, sex, age, and type of educational institution.

Methods: An observational study was conducted with a sample of 265 children aged three to six years from public and private institutions in three regions of Peru: the central region (Metropolitan Lima), the jungle region (Tarapoto), and the southern region (Chincha Alta). The Test of Gross Motor Development, Third Edition (TGMD-3) was applied. Data were processed and analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests such as the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test (p<0.05). Additionally, a multiple linear regression analysis with robust standard errors was conducted.

Results: The results revealed significant differences between regions. Children from the Selva (Tarapoto) and Sur (Chincha) regions of Peru reported higher scores than those from the central region. In addition, girls reported higher scores than boys in locomotor skills. Also, it was found that motor performance usually reaches better performance after five years and six months of age.

Conclusions: It is concluded that infant motor performance varies by region, age and sex. Therefore, future interventions adjusted for these variables are required to strengthen and improve these skills.