Maternal Emotional Intelligence and the Provision of Child Motor Affordances.

Background: Mothers are not only the axis of an ecological subsystem for their children but are also capable of creating a significant emotional and psychological environment through constant and direct interaction. This leads to interactions and emotional connections with the children, supportive behaviors, and a long-term commitment to their upbringing and development. Aims: This study examined the relationship between maternal emotional intelligence (EI) and demographics on the availability of motor affordances in the home environment that are conducive to their child's motor development. Methods: Mothers (N = 451) and homes of children aged 18-42 months were assessed using the Persian version of Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development-Self-Report (AHEMD-SR) and the Bar-On Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. In addition, mothers' physical activity (PA) experience and demographic data were collected. Results: Analyses indicated significant correlations between mothers' education, level of PA, and income with EI and motor affordances. Conclusions: EI, PA experience, and select mother demographics were important to the availability of motor affordances in the home. One could also speculate, based on previous research, that such provision may affect the future motor development of the child. Future research should include a younger and more diverse population.

Effects of affordances in the home environment on children's personal-social, problem-solving, and communication skills.

BACKGROUND: Among the various factors forming the environment, most developmentalists are in agreement that the home is the primary agent for change in child growth and development. The present study investigated the effect of affordances in the home on personal-social, problem-solving, and communication skills of children between 18 and 42 months of age. This investigation extends work focusing on "motor" affordances as an environmental feature. METHODS: Using cross-sectional design, 251 families (124 boys and 127 girls) were evaluated using the Persian translation of Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development and the Ages and Stages Inventories to determine the three skill competencies. RESULTS: Results showed that the level of home affordances significantly impacted all three skill areas. And the total variance of predictive values in the final model had a moderate and significant ratio. Other factors such as attendance and non-attendance of children in kindergarten, family income, and education of parents were also contributing factors. CONCLUSIONS: In general, these findings indicate that the home environment plays an important role in the development of personal-social, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Associations Between the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire - Brazilian Version (DCDQ-BR) and Motor Competence in School-Age Children.

Aim: Parental screening of children's motor skills can be helpful for early identification of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). The present study examined the associations between the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire - Brazilian version (DCDQ-BR) and motor competence in school-age children.Methods: 707 children (332 boys, 375 girls) aged between 6- to 10-years and one of their parents participated in the study. Parents completed the DCDQ-BR and children's motor competence was determined using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency - 2nd edition (BOT-2).Results: The agreement between the BOT-2 and DCDQ-BR results was comparable across age, ranging from 74-84 percent. In general, there were low- to moderate correlations between all aspects of the parent report and children's motor competence. Sensitivity and specificity of the DCDQ-BR were 70% and 81%, respectively. Overall, boys had higher motor competence than girls, but parent reports were similar for gender.Conclusions: Parental assessment of their child's motor ability is moderately associated with motor competence, and this association is similar for boys and girls, even though boys scored higher in motor competence. Our findings suggest that it may be possible to reduce the length of clinical assessment by only testing children that flag as suspect for DCD in the DCDQ-BR.

Reconsidering the use of cut-off scores: dcdq - brazil / Reconsiderando o uso dos pontos de corte: dcdq - brasil / Reconsiderando el uso de los puntos de corte: dcdq - brasil

ABSTRACT Introduction: The DCDQ is a parental report designed to assess daily living activities of children, and serves as a useful questionnaire to aid in the diagnostic criteria of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). It is divided into three components: control during movement, fine motor/handwriting, and general coordination. The results categorize children in two groups: "Indication of DCD/suspect DCD", and "probably not DCD". Objective: The objective of this study was to determine appropriate cut-off scores for the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire - Brazil (DCDQ-BR) for use with Brazilian children employing a large sample. Methods: Seven hundred and seven children ages 6-10 were assessed with the DCDQ-BR and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2). Descriptive statistics was used to characterize the sample, and concurrent validity was assessed using Pearson's Correlation Coefficient. Predictive validity was determined through values of sensitivity (S) and specificity (E), while ROC curves were used to determine the optimal cut-off score for the DCDQ-BR. Results: Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis revealed a significant correlation between total scores of the DCDQ-BR and BOT-2 (r= 0.55 (p=0.00). Cut-off scores for the DCDQ-BR based on the BOT-2 17th percentile (relating to below average descriptive category) were established as ≤40, ≤46 and ≤51 for ages 6-7 years and 11 months; 8-9 years and 11 months; and 10-10 years and 11 months, respectively. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study and previous literature suggesting the need for a reevaluation of cut-off scores for the Brazilian population with a larger sample, we recommend that the cut-off scores of the DCDQ-BR are adjusted to the values found with our sample. Level of evidence II; Diagnostic studies - Investigating a diagnostic test.

RESUMO Introdução: O DCDQ é um relatório para pais elaborado para avaliar as atividades diárias das crianças, além de servir como um questionário útil para auxiliar nos critérios diagnósticos de Transtorno do Desenvolvimento da Coordenação (TDC). O questionário é dividido em três componentes: controle durante o movimento, motricidade fina/escrita e coordenação geral. Os resultados classificam as crianças em dois grupos: "Indicação ou suspeita de TDC" e "provável não TDC". Objetivo: O objetivo do presente estudo consistia em determinar as pontuações de corte adequadas para o Questionário de Transtorno do Desenvolvimento da Coordenação - Brasil (DCDQ-BR) para uso com crianças brasileiras utilizando uma grande amostra. Métodos: Setecentas e sete crianças de seis a 10 anos foram avaliadas com o DCDQ-BR e o Teste de Proficiência Motora Bruininks-Oseretsky (BOT-2). Utilizaram-se estatísticas descritivas para caracterizar a amostra e a validade concorrente foi avaliada através do índice de Correlação de Pearson. A validade preditiva foi determinada através dos valores de sensibilidade (S), especificidade (E) e as curvas ROC foram realizadas para determinar o ponto de corte ótimo do DCDQ-BR. Resultados: A análise de correlação de Pearson revelou uma correlação significativa entre os escores totais do DCDQ-BR e BOT-2 (r = 0,55, p = 0,00). Os pontos de corte para o DCDQ-BR com base no BOT-2 no 17º percentil (referentes a categoria descritiva abaixo da média) foram estabelecidos como ≤40, ≤46 e ≤51 para seis anos a sete anos e 11 meses, oito anos a nove anos e 11 meses, e 10 anos a 10 anos e 11 meses, respectivamente. Conclusão: Com base nos resultados desse estudo e na literatura anterior sugerindo a necessidade de uma reavaliação das pontuações de corte para a população brasileira com uma amostra maior, recomendamos que as pontuações de corte do DCDQ-BR sejam ajustadas aos valores encontrados em nossa amostra. Nível de evidência II; Estudos diagnósticos - Investigação de um exame para diagnóstico.

RESUMEN Introducción: El DCDQ es un informe para padres elaborado para evaluar las actividades diarias de los niños, además de servir como un cuestionario útil para ayudar en los criterios diagnósticos del Trastorno del Desarrollo de la Coordinación (TDC). El cuestionario se divide en tres componentes: control durante el movimiento, motricidad fina/escrita y coordinación general. Los resultados clasifican a los niños en dos grupos: "Indicación o sospecha de TDC" y "probable no TDC". Objetivo: El objetivo del presente estudio fue determinar las puntuaciones de corte adecuadas para el Cuestionario de Trastorno del Desarrollo de la Coordinación-Brasil (DCDQ-BR) para el uso con niños brasileños usando una gran muestra. Métodos: Setecientos y siete niños de 6 a 10 años fueron evaluados con el DCDQ-BR y el Test de Destreza Motora Bruininks-Oseretsky (BOT-2). Se utilizaron estadísticas descriptivas para caracterizar la muestra y la validez concurrente fue evaluada a través del índice de Correlación de Pearson. La validez predictiva fue determinada a través de los valores de sensibilidad (S), especificidad (E) y las curvas ROC se realizaron para determinar el punto de corte óptimo del DCDQ-BR. Resultados: El análisis de correlación de Pearson reveló una correlación significativa entre las puntuaciones totales del DCDQ-BR y BOT-2 (r = 0,55, p = 0,00). Los puntos de corte para el DCDQ-BR con base en el BOT-2 en el percentil 17º (referentes a la categoría descriptiva por debajo del promedio) se establecieron como ≤40, ≤46 y ≤51 para seis a siete años y 11 meses, ocho años a nueve años y 11 meses, y 10 años a 10 años y 11 meses, respectivamente. Conclusión: Con base en los resultados de este estudio y en la literatura anterior sugiriendo la necesidad de una reevaluación de las puntuaciones de corte para la población brasileña con una muestra mayor, recomendamos que las puntuaciones de corte del DCDQ-BR sean ajustadas a los valores encontrados con nuestra muestra. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios diagnósticos - Investigación de un examen para diagnóstico.

The Impact of Home Motor Affordances on Motor, Cognitive and Social Development of Young Children.

OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated the influence of home motor affordances on motor, cognitive, and social development of young children. MATERIALS & METHODS: The sample consisted of 49 Iranian children, aged 24-42 months. This study was conducted in Qouchan, Khorasan, Iran in 2015. They was randomly selected by multi-stage cluster sampling from a single community. Participant's homes were assessed using the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development (AHEMD). The motor behavior of young child was measured with the Denver Developmental Screening Test, aspects of cognitive development (Total cognitive, Verbal IQ, and non-verbal IQ) were assessed using the Stanford-Binet scale, and finally, social development measured by the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale. RESULTS: Although no statistically significant correlations were found between Total AHEMD scores and motor development, there were significant and positive correlations (P=0.04) for Total AHEMD with total cognitive development (r=0.29), verbal IQ (r=0.29), social development (r=0.33) and (P=0.019), SES (r=0.51) with (P=0.000). There was a significant relationship between the Play Materials subscale of the AHEMD with total cognitive development (r=0.32) with (P=0.024), verbal IQ (r=0.31) and (P=0.029), and social development (r=0.35) with (P=0.012). In addition, there were significant differences between total AHEMD score with parents who had an academic education. CONCLUSION: Motor affordances in the home can have a significant positive influence on a young child's cognitive and social development.

Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Affordance in the Home Environment for Motor Development.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to translate the Affordance in the Home Environment for Motor Development (AHEMD) scales (3-18 months (IS) and 18-42 month (SR) versions) into Persian and examine its cultural adaptation and psychometric properties. MATERIALS & METHODS: Four stages process was conducted as translation of the questionnaires (use of International Quality of Life Assessment protocol), cultural adaptation, and determination of its psychometric properties. Qualitative judgments were provided by 11 experts and 30 mothers for interview sessions. Quantitative data were gathered using 212 mothers. RESULTS: For the IS version, validity values ranged from 0.63 to 0.95. Intraclass correlation coefficient for reliability of total score was 0.87 (0.83-0.97) and was Cronbach's alpha (0.75). Validity for the AHEMD-SR ranged from 0.63 to 0.90, with reliability for total score of 0.98 (0.98-0.99, ICC). Cronbach's alpha for this version was 0.84. Correlations with SES were significant for both scales: IS (r = 0.40) and AHEMD-SR (r = 0.42). CONCLUSION: Both translated versions of the AHEMD were valid and reliable assessments of the home environment of Iranian young children.

Motor development in school-age children is associated with the home environment including socioeconomic status.

The aim of the present study was to examine how the home environment, including socioeconomic status (SES), affects motor development in school-age children. Seven hundred seven children (332 boys and 375 girls) aged between 6 and 10 years participated in the study. Motor Development was determined using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Second Edition. Parents answered the Middle Childhood Home Observation Measurement of the Environment (HOME) Inventory, and Brazilian Association of Market Research Institutes Questionnaire (for SES). Children from "Adequate" homes (HOME score), compared with "Less Adequate," displayed better motor behavior. Mediation and moderation analysis revealed that motor development increased as SES increased. The proportion of variance in motor development explained by SES increased from 9% to 13% when the home was added as a mediation variable. We also found that the effect of SES on motor development was moderated by age. For older children, the effect was lower than for younger children. The best model used SES as the predictor, HOME as the mediator, and AGE as the moderator variable and explained 17% of the variance in motor development. In summary, these findings suggest that, like previous reports with young children, the HOME environment and SES may play an important role in motor development of school-age children. Our findings encourage the assessment of the home and interventions that take into account the home environment to improve motor development in school-age children.

Psychometric properties of the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development inventory for use with Iranian children aged 18-42 months.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to translate the original English language version of the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development (AHEMD) inventory and test its psychometric properties for use with Iranian children aged 18-42 months. METHODS: For this purpose, the tool was translated into Farsi (a Persian language) using the forward-backward translation method and some of its psychometric properties were examined. Multistage stratified-cluster sampling was used to study 1019 families having children aged 18-42 months from among the regional divisions of Tehran urban community health centers. The questionnaire evaluated five factors: outside space, inside space, variety of stimulation, fine motor toys and gross motor toys. Expert opinion was used for content-related validity evaluation and confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine construct validity. For test-retest reliability, parents completed identical questionnaires two weeks apart. Internal consistency was evaluated using inter-examiner reliability, Cronbach's alpha and construct reliability. Linear regression analysis was used to explain and predict the effects of toys on AHEMD total score. RESULTS: Results showed that content-related validity was 0.92. Data confirmatory factor analysis showed an acceptable fit to the original five factors. Reliability over time was 0.91 and internal consistency was 0.93. It was also found that fine- and gross-motor toys showed a significant 55% predictability of affordance provision in the home. CONCLUSION: The Farsi translation of the AHEMD is acceptable for use with Iranian children aged 18-42 month.

Adaptation and Preliminary Testing of the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ) for Children in India.

AIMS: While Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) has gained worldwide attention, in India it is relatively unknown. The revised DCD Questionnaire (DCDQ'07) is one of the most utilized screening tools for DCD. The aim of this study was to translate the DCDQ'07 into the Hindi language (DCDQ-Hindi) and test its basic psychometric properties. METHODS: The DCDQ'07 was translated following guidelines for cross cultural adaptation of instruments. Parents of 1100 children (5-15 years) completed the DCDQ-Hindi, of which 955 were considered for data analysis and 60 were retested randomly after 3 weeks for test-retest reliability. RESULTS: The DCDQ-Hindi showed high internal consistency (α = .86) and moderate test-retest reliability (.73). Confirmatory factor analysis showed equivalence to the DCDQ'07. The% probable DCD using DCDQ'07 cutoff scores (≤57) ranged from 22% to 68%. Using more stringent cutoffs (≤36) it ranged from 5% to 9%. Significant difference was seen for gender (p < .05) in subset 1(gross-motor skills) total scores. CONCLUSIONS: The DCDQ-Hindi reveals promise for initial identification of Hindi speaking Indian children with DCD. Based on more stringent cut-off scores, the "probable prevalence" of children with risk of DCD in India appears to be around 6-7%. Research with larger sample and comparison with the MABC-2 or equivalent is needed.

Interlimb coordination and academic performance in elementary school children.

BACKGROUND: The specific mechanisms linking motor ability and cognitive performance, especially academic achievement, are still unclear. Whereas the literature provides an abundance of information on fine and visual-motor skill and cognitive attributes, much less has been reported on gross motor ability. This study examined interlimb coordination and its relationship to academic performance in children aged 8-11 years. METHODS: Motor and academic skills were examined in 100 Brazilian children using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and the Academic Performance Test. Participants were grouped into low (<25%) and high (>75%) academic achievers. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between groups for Total Motor Composite (P < 0.001) favoring the high group. On regression analysis there was a significant association between academic performance and Body Coordination. Of the subtests of Body Coordination (Bilateral Coordination and Balance), Bilateral Coordination accounted for the highest impact on academic performance. Of interest here, that subtest consists primarily of gross motor tasks involving interlimb coordination. CONCLUSION: Overall, there was a positive relationship between motor behavior, in particular activities involving interlimb coordination, and academic performance. Application of these findings in the area of early assessment may be useful in the identification of later academic problems.

A Program to Improve Reach Estimation and Reduce Fall Risk in the Elderly.

Contemporary research findings indicate that in older persons (typically 64 > years) there are functional decrements in the ability to mentally represent and effectively plan motor actions. Actions, if poorly planned, can result in falling, a major health concern for the elderly. Whereas a number of factors may contribute to falls, over- or underestimation of reach abilities may lead to loss of postural control (balance) and pose a higher risk of falling. Our intent with this paper was to provide: (1) a brief background of the problem, (2) suggest strategies for mental (motor) imagery practice in the context of reach planning, and (3) describe general guidelines and a sample practice format of a training program for clinical use. Mental (motor) imagery practice of reach planning has potential for improving motor performance in reach-related everyday activities and reducing the risk of falls in older persons.

Effects of psychosocial variables in the similarity and interdependence of physical activity levels among adolescent best friend dyads.

Given that physical activity (PA) tends to decrease with age during adolescence, addressing factors that affect change is important. This study examined the similarity and interdependence of PA as influenced by psychosocial factors among adolescent best friend dyads. A total of 660 adolescents, representing 330 best friend dyads, completed questionnaires with regard to PA, sitting time, perceived exercise benefits and barriers, physical self-perception and social support for PA. Dyads were also identified as reciprocal and non-reciprocal best friends; reciprocal means that both considered each other best friends and non-reciprocal were those in which only one considered the other a best friend. Data were analysed using a hierarchical linear model framework. Results indicated significant similarities between reciprocal best friend dyads for PA and sitting time, and for sitting time in non-reciprocal best friends (P values <.01). Psychosocial variables were associated with PA in reciprocal best friend dyads and with sitting time in reciprocal and non-reciprocal best friend dyads. Best friend gender, regular sports practice of the person, perceived exercise barriers of the best friend and best friend social support were the best predictors for PA.

Children with developmental coordination disorder demonstrate a spatial mismatch when estimating coincident-timing ability with tools.

Coincident timing or interception ability can be defined as the capacity to precisely time sensory input and motor output. This study compared accuracy of typically developing (TD) children and those with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) on a task involving estimation of coincident timing with their arm and various tool lengths. Forty-eight (48) participants performed two experiments where they imagined intercepting a target moving toward (Experiment 1) and target moving away (Experiment 2) from them in 5 conditions with their arm and tool lengths: arm, 10, 20, 30, and 40 cm. In Experiment 1, the DCD group overestimated interception points approximately twice as much as the TD group, and both groups overestimated consistently regardless of the tool used. Results for Experiment 2 revealed that those with DCD underestimated about three times as much as the TD group, with the exception of when no tool was used. Overall, these results indicate that children with DCD are less accurate with estimation of coincident-timing; which might in part explain their difficulties with common motor activities such as catching a ball or striking a baseball pitch.

The new affordances in the home environment for motor development - infant scale (AHEMD-IS): Versions in English and Portuguese languages.

The home environment has been established as a crucial factor for motor development, especially in infants. Exploring the home environment can have significant implications for intervention, as it is common practice in physical therapy to have professionals advise patients on home activities. Since 2010, our group has been working on the development of the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development - Infant Scale (AHEMD-IS), a parental self-reporting instrument designed to assess the quality and quantity of factors (affordances) in the home environment. In Brazil, the instrument has been translated as "Affordances no Ambiente Domiciliar para o Desenvolvimento Motor - Escala Bebê", and it has been extensively used in several studies that address infant development. These studies in Brazil and other parts of the world highly recommended the need for a normative sample and standardized scoring system. A description of the study that addressed that need, along with the English version of the questionnaire and score sheets, was recently published in the well-known and respected journal Physical Therapy. Our intent with the present short communication is to notify Brazilian investigators and clinicians of this latest update so they can download the new instrument, as well as present the Brazilian (Portuguese) version of the AHEMD-IS along with its scoring system.

Comparações entre o desempenho motor e oportunidades de estimulação motora no ambiente domiciliar de lactentes residentes nas regiões Sudeste e Norte do Brasil / Comparaciones del desempeño motor y oportunidades de estimulación motora en el entorno del hogar de lactantes moradores en las regiones Sureste y Norte de Brasil / Comparisons between motor performance and opportunities for motor stimulation in the home environment of infants from the North and Southwest regions in Brazil

A proposta deste estudo foi comparar as relações entre o desempenho motor e as características do ambiente familiar (espaço físico, atividades diárias, brinquedos) de lactentes residentes em duas regiões do Brasil, Norte (Marabá, PA) e Sudeste (Piracicaba, SP). Foram utilizados a Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) para a análise do desempenho motor e o Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development - Infant Scale (AHEMD-IS) para a análise do ambiente familiar em oitenta lactentes de 3 a 18 meses de idade. Os grupos dos dois municípios não diferiram quanto ao desempenho motor (p>0,05), porém, foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre os grupos no que se refere à frequência em creches, à escolaridade paterna e ao número de quartos nas residências. Os resultados também indicaram diferenças significativas para as oportunidades no lar, com o grupo de Marabá obtendo pontuações significativamente menores na maior parte do AHEMD-IS: espaço externo (p=0,021), brinquedos para motricidade fina (p<0,001) e grossa (p<0,001), e o escore total do AHEMD-IS (p=0,002). Não foram encontradas diferenças entre os grupos nas atividades diárias e no espaço interno da residência. O desempenho motor e as oportunidades no ambiente domiciliar (total do AHEMD-IS) demonstraram uma correlação fraca tanto para o grupo de Marabá (r=0,33; p=0,03) quanto para o grupo de Piracicaba (r=0,45; p<0,001). Em conclusão, apesar dos grupos apresentarem níveis de desenvolvimento motor similares, o grupo de lactentes em Marabá apresentou menos affordances (oportunidades de ação) comparados aos residentes de Piracicaba, o que, no futuro, pode resultar em diferenças no desempenho motor dos grupos.

En este estudio tuvo el propósito de comparar las relaciones entre el desempeño motor y las características del entorno del hogar (el espacio físico, las actividades diarias, los juguetes) de lactantes moradores en dos regiones de Brasil, el Norte (Marabá, PA) y el Sureste (Piracicaba, SP). Se utilizaron el Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) para el desempeño motor y el Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development Infant Scale (AHEMD-IS) para el análisis del entorno del hogar en ochenta lactantes de 3 hasta 18 meses de edad. Los grupos de los dos municipios no presentaron diferencias significativas en relación al desempeño motor (p>0,05), sin embargo, se encontraron diferencias significativas en lo que se refiere a la asistencia a guardería, al nivel de educación del padre y al número de habitaciones en sus casas. Los resultados también mostraron diferencias significativas en las oportunidades en los hogares, el grupo de Marabá obtuvo puntuaciones significativamente menores en la mayor parte del AHEMD-IS: espacio externo (p=0,021), juguetes para habilidades motoras finas (p<0,001) y gruesas (p<0,001), y el escore total del AHEMD-IS (p=0,002). En cuanto a las actividades diarias y al espacio interno de las casas no se encontraron diferencias. El desempeño motor y las oportunidades en el entorno del hogar (total del AHEMD-IS) mostraron una correlación baja tanto para el grupo del Marabá (r=0,33; p=0,03) como para el de Piracicaba (r=0,45; p<0,001). Aunque los grupos presentaron niveles semejantes de desarrollo motor, se concluyó que el grupo de lactantes de Marabá presentó menos affordances (oportunidades de acción) que el de Piracicaba, lo que puede resultar en diferencias para su futuro en relación al desempeño motor de los grupos.

This study aimed at comparing the relationships between motor development and the characteristics in the home environment (physical space, daily activities, toys) of infants in two Brazilian regions, North (Marabá, PA) and Southeast (Piracicaba, SP). Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) was used to analyze motor development, and Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development - Infant Scale (AHEMD-IS) was used in order to analyze the family environments of eight breastfeed babies of 3 to 18 months of age. The groups in the two municipalities were not different in regards to motor development (p<0.05); however, significant differences were found among groups concerning day care frequency, fatherly schooling, and number of rooms in households. The results also indicated significant differences for opportunities at home, with the group from Marabá receiving significantly lower scores for the most part of the AHEMD-IS: external space (p=0.021), toys for fine motor skills (p<0.001), and total AHEMD-IS score (p=0.002). No differences were found among groups in daily activities and the internal space of homes. Motor development and opportunities in the home environment (total AHEMD-IS) were found to have weaker correlations for both the group from Marabá (r=0.33; p=0.03) and the group from Piracicaba (r=0.45; p<0.001). In summary, although both groups had similar motor development levels, the group of infants from Marabá was found to have fewer affordances (opportunities for action) as compared to the ones living in Piracicaba, which may result in differences in the motor development of the groups in the future.

Mental representation for action in the elderly: implications for movement efficiency and injury risk.

Recent research findings indicate that with older adulthood, there are functional decrements in spatial cognition and more specially, in the ability to mentally represent and effectively plan motor actions. A typical finding is a significant over- or underestimation of one's actual physical abilities with movement planning-planning that has implications for movement efficiency and physical safety. A practical, daily life example is estimation of reachability--a situation that for the elderly may be linked with fall incidence. A strategy used to mentally represent action is the use of motor imagery--an ability that also declines with advancing older age. This brief review highlights research findings on mental representation and motor imagery in the elderly and addresses the implications for improving movement efficiency and lowering the risk of movement-related injury.

Further Development and Validation of the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development-Infant Scale (AHEMD-IS).

BACKGROUND: Affordances in the home environment may play a significant role in infant motor development. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to further develop and validate the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development-Infant Scale (AHEMD-IS), an inventory that measures the quantity and quality of motor affordances in the home. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate criteria for content validity, reliability, internal consistency, floor and ceiling effects, and interpretability of the instrument. METHODS: A pilot version of the inventory with 5 dimensions was used for expert panel analysis and administered to parents of infants (N=419). Data were analyzed with Cronbach alpha, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), ceiling and floor effects, and item and dimension interpretability analyses for creation of a scoring system with descriptive categories for each dimension and total score. RESULTS: Average agreement among the expert panel was 95% across all evaluation criteria. Cronbach alpha values with the 41-item scale ranged between .639 and .824 for the separate dimensions, with a total value of .824 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]=.781, .862). The ICC values were .990 for interrater reliability and .949 for intrarater reliability. There was a ceiling effect on 3 questions for the Inside Space dimension and on 3 questions for the Variety of Stimulation dimension. These results demonstrated the need for reduction in total items (from 41 to 35) and the combination of space dimensions. After removal of questions, internal consistency was .766 (95% CI=.729, .800) for total score. Overall assessment categories were created as: less than adequate, moderately adequate, adequate, and excellent. LIMITATIONS: The inventory does not determine specific use (time, frequency) of affordances in the home, and it does not account for infants' out-of-home activities. CONCLUSIONS: The AHEMD-IS is a reliable and valid instrument to assess affordances in the home environment that promote infant motor development.

Do older adults perceive postural constraints for reach estimation?

UNLABELLED: BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: Recent evidence indicates that older persons have difficulty mentally representing intended movements. Furthermore, in an estimation of reach paradigm using motor imagery, a form of mental representation, older persons significantly overestimated their ability compared with young adults. The authors tested the notion that older adults may also have difficulty perceiving the postural constraints associated with reach estimation. METHODS: The authors compared young (Mage = 22 years) and older (Mage = 67) adults on reach estimation while seated and in a more postural demanding standing and leaning forward position. The expectation was a significant postural effect with the standing condition, as evidenced by reduced overestimation. RESULTS: Whereas there was no difference between groups in the seated condition (both overestimated), older adults underestimated whereas the younger group once again overestimated in the standing condition. CONCLUSION: From one perspective, these results show that older adults do perceive postural constraints in light of their own physical capabilities. That is, that group perceived greater postural demands with the standing posture and elected to program a more conservative strategy, resulting in underestimation.

Examining intention in simulated actions: are children and young adults different?

Previous work with adults provides evidence that 'intention' used in processing simulated actions is similar to that used in planning and processing overt movements. The present study compared young adults and children on their ability to estimate distance reachability using a NOGO/GO paradigm in conditions of imagery only (IO) and imagery with actual execution (IE). Our initial thoughts were that whereas intention is associated with motivation and commitment to act, age-related differences could impact planning. Results indicated no difference in overall accuracy by condition within groups, and as expected adults were more accurate. These findings support an increasing body of evidence suggesting that the neurocognitive processes (in this case, intention) driving motor imagery and overt actions are similar, and as evidenced here, functioning by age 7.

Tool length influences reach distance estimation via motor imagery in children with developmental coordination disorder.

PURPOSE: Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) often have difficulties with planning and generating a precise visuospatial representation of intended actions and using motor imagery to mentally represent motor behavior. Here, we aimed to extend the investigation of motor imagery in children with DCD by exploring its use with an estimation of reach paradigm that combines action representation and extension of space with tools. METHOD: Two groups of 18 children with DCD and typically developing (TD) matched controls were tested with an estimation of reach paradigm using a 20-cm (Experiment 1) and 40-cm (Experiment 2) tool. Conditions involved estimations via motor imagery with their arm, tool, and a switch-block (SB) involving an abrupt change of space with an "extension" from arm to tool and a "retraction" from tool to arm. RESULTS: No significant group differences were found with the 20-cm tool; however, with the 40-cm implement, children with DCD were significantly less accurate than their TD counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to TD children, those with DCD have more difficulty estimating reach distances using the longer of two tool lengths: 40 cm compared to 20 cm. This finding may be related to differences in quality of motor imagery and in the ability to create an effective internal model for action in this context. Furthermore, our results suggest that tool length may present an additional action processing constraint on children with DCD. Additional studies are necessary to determine other constraints that children with DCD have when integrating tool use with spatial judgments for reach actions, as well as provide rehabilitation insights that involve motor imagery combined with tool use.