Pacing opportunities at home and skill of children with potential changes in functional development

Abstract

Introduction: the multifactorial nature of motor development is reinforced by the combination of biological and environmental risk factors, which intensify the chances of impaired motor development. Objectives: to verify the relationship between functional mobility skills of children with risk factors and motor stimulus opportunities in their home environment. Methods: transversal study conducted with 112 patients aged 18-42 months from follow-up services. Motor stimulus opportunities were evaluated by the Affordance in the Home Environment for Motor Development (AHEMD-SR) and Functional mobility skills by the Pediatric Evaluation Disability Inventory (PEDI). Student t test and multiple linear regression analysis were carried out. Results: predominance of good performance of functional mobility skills and “average level” of environmental stimulus opportunities were observed. There was no significant association between HFM-PEDI and AHEMD-SR. The results showed significant association only between HFM-PEDI and presence of health problems (p = 0.004). Children with health problems had lower mean PEDI normative score. Multiple linear regression analysis showed significant result for health problems in the interaction among environment, control variables and HFM-PEDI (p = 0.003). Conclusion: there was no association between functional mobility skills of children with risk factors and motor stimulus opportunities in their home environment. On the other hand, children with some health problem showed lower performance in functional mobility skills.