Contextual Factors and Motor Skills in Indigenous Amazon Forest and Urban Indigenous Children

Abstract

This study investigated the contextual factors, motor performance, and body mass index across indigenous land children, indigenous urban children, and non-indigenous urban children. A number of 153 children, both sexes (71 girls, 46.4%), from 8 to 10 years were assessed. The Test of Motor Gross Development-3 was utilized. Indigenous land children showed higher motor performance (η2ρ = 0.37 and η2ρ = 0.19 locomotor and object control, respectively) than indigenous urban children (p < 0.03) and non-indigenous urban children (p < 0.01); Indigenous urban children showed higher motor performance than non-indigenous urban children (p < 0.01). Body mass index was similar across groups (η2ρ = 0,02; p = 0.15). Motor performance of indigenous land children was explained by the contextual factors that lead to a more active lifestyle, unsupervised free time, and play outside. In urban areas, behavior was similar, and although indigenous urban children kept some play tradition, it was not strong enough to be a protective factor for the motor performance.

Fundamental motor skills of kindergarten children in different environments and ethnic groups in Northwest China

“…Although children have the potential to master most FMS, their mastery is highly individual. It should be noted that these basic sports patterns are not naturally acquired in the process of maturity, and many motor skills are highly influenced by the contextual and family factors that lead to a change in lifestyle, such as unsupervised free time, different forms of outdoor play, and so on [ 4 ]. For example, children from families with high socio-economic status are obviously superior to children with middle and/or low socio-economic status in total, fine and gross motor proficiency.…”