| dc.description.abstract | The aim of this study was to characterize the psychomotor profile of schoolchildren
attending the first grade in Elementary School, considering their gender, gestational
age and physical aspect, as well as to analyze the relationship between motor and
school performances. After obtaining parental consent, 37 children (20 boys and 17
girls) aging 6,5 to 7,8 years old (M=7, 2 ± 0,4) were enlisted from two classrooms of
a private school (SAPIENS), in São Carlos/SP, in order to participate in this study.
The assessment tool was Fonseca´s Psychomotor Battery (PMB) (1995), which
consists of 7 psychomotor categories: Tonicity, Equilibration, Lateralization, Body
Perception, Time-Spatial Structurization, Global Praxis and Fine Praxis. Each of
these categories can score from 1 to 4, according to the following profiles: (1)
Apraxic; (2) Dyspraxic; (3) Eupraxic; (4) Hyperpraxic. The children were assessed
only once. From the data analysis, it was possible to verify that the children with an
average age of 7 years and 2 months presented eupraxic psychomotor profile.
ANOVA test (P≤0, 05) was applied to characterize the psychomotor profile within
the criterion of scores. There was no significant difference (p=0,848) in the
characterization between the genders. Nevertheless, the girls presented higher scores
in most of the categories, except in global praxis. In the characterization between
gestational ages, there was a significant difference (p=0,047) in fine praxis, inasmuch
as the scores of the full-term children were higher than the pre-term ones. In the
characterization among physical aspects, there was a significant difference in
Tonicity (p=0,013) and Equilibration (p=0,05). In both factors, the mesomorphic
children presented better performances. On the other hand, in global praxis (0,018),
the endomorphic children presented better performances in relation to both
ectomorphic and mesomorphic children. From the comparison between motor and
school performances, it was possible to verify significant differences in body
perception and global praxis concerning mathematic calculation. In short, it was
verified that the gender did not influence the profile characterization of the children.
However, the gestational age, the physical aspect as well as motor and school
performances were determinant in their performance characterization. In general, the
schoolchildren analyzed were characterized as presenting normal psychomotor
profile. | |
