Comparative analysis of the effect of physical education program of motor age equivalent in children with hearing disability

Abstract

Objective: To analyze in a comparative way the effect of a physical education program on the equivalent motor age in children with hearing disability. Method: The research design was quasi-experimental, with convenience sampling; involving 38 children with diagnosed hearing disability with an average age of 7.4 ± 0.9 years, enrolled in two schools in the city of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. The participants were randomly divided into a control group (n=15) and an experimental group (n=23). The motor age equivalent was determined using the education Battelle developmental inventory, through tests of muscle control, body coordination, locomotion, fine motor skills, and perceptive motricity. The physical education program was performed during 4 months, with five 50-minute sessions per week, focusing on tasks that emphasized motor coordination and communicating with students through the Mexican sign language. Results: The mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) 2 x 2 reported a doubly significant interaction between the groups and the measurements of the motor equivalent age variable (p=0.05). The percentages of change were 12.9Ä% for the experimental group, and 4.9Ä % for the control group. Conclusion: The application of a physical education program during four months improves the equivalent motor age in school children with hearing disability.