Fatores associados ao desempenho motor e escolar, competência percebida, nível de atividade física e estado nutricional em crianças do ensino fundamental I

Abstract

This dissertation aimed to investigate the relationships among motor development, physical activity level, sedentary behavior, nutritional status, perceived competence, and school performance in children enrolled in the early years of elementary school in Araguaína, Tocantins, Brazil. This was a quantitative cross-sectional study conducted with 30 schoolchildren aged 10 to 11 years enrolled in a public school. Motor development was assessed using Rosa Neto’s Motor Development Scale, considering fine motor skills, gross motor skills, balance, body schema, spatial organization, temporal organization, laterality, General Motor Age, and General Motor Quotient. Physical activity level was assessed using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C), while sedentary behavior was analyzed based on average daily sedentary time. Nutritional status was evaluated using Body Mass Index (BMI), perceived competence was investigated through the athletic competence domain of the Self-Perception Profile for Children, and school performance was measured by the overall school report average. The results indicated a predominance of the low-normal classification in the General Motor Quotient, as well as associations between components of motor development, physical activity level, perceived competence, and school performance. No significant associations were found between nutritional status and motor development. It was concluded that motor development is related to different dimensions of child development, reinforcing the importance of school and bodily practices that promote diversified motor experiences, active participation, and comprehensive development in childhood.