THE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT AND THE PROBLEMS FROM MALNUTRITION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF 4 TO 5 YEAR-OLD-CHILDREN

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the motor development of children with chronic malnutrition, aged 4 to 5 years old, assisted by the CREN (Centro de Recuperação e Educação Nutricional ) and eutrophic children from NDI (Núcleo de Desenvolvimento Infantil ), both from the city of Maceió, Capital of the state of Alagoas, in Brazil. It has been based on a comparative and descriptive study. The sample was formed by 18 children with chronic malnutrition from CREN and 18 eutrophic children from NDI. The material and method used were: interview, anthropometric evaluation and evaluation of motor development accomplished through Rosa Neto´s Scale (2002). The results were analyzed from the statistic program SPSS on. The statistic analysis was descriptive using the test t – Student to compare the average.The results showed that 63,9% were male children. The average of chronological age (CA) among the groups was of 53,03 months. From the six motor variable evaluated among the groups the balance, with a value of p=0,00; body scheme with p= 0,00 and time organization with p=0,00, the differences were significant. While the fine and global motricity did not showed statistic differences with p= 0,69 and p= 0,46. It has been noticed yet, that children with malnutrition showed low results for the general motor age ( GMA) with an average of 39,78 months (±6,59 SD), eutrophic children had 50,05 months ( ±3,84 SD ), a significant statistic difference (p = 0,00), for the variable GMA. The values of the general motor quotient (GMQ) showed that children with malnutrition showed bigger deficits than eutrophic children with an average of 65,88 months (±9,02 SD ) and 93,65 (±10,31SD) respectively. Resulting GMQ very low for children with malnutrition and 'medium normal' for eutrophic children. It has been concluded that the averages of the variables: balance, body scheme and time organization were those with significant statistic difference. The superior chronologic age on children with chronic malnutrition did not cause significant effect when calculated the GMA and GMQ.