The Impact of Socioeconomic Conditions and Residential Areas on the Development of Gross Motor Skills in Elementary School Age Children

This study analyzed the differences in gross motor skills in children aged 7-9 years in urban and rural areas and the influence of socioeconomic conditions on them. The study involved 100 children evenly divided between the two areas, with measurements using the AMC-2 instrument. The results showed significant differences in gross motor skills between urban (M=138.8) and rural (M=127.9) children with p=0.003. Urban children performed better in locomotor (70.3 vs 65.2) and object control (68.5 vs 62.7). Multiple regression analysis confirmed that both socioeconomic conditions (B=0.45, p=0.004) and residential area (B=0.39, p=0.008) had a significant effect on gross motor skills. These findings indicate the importance of considering environmental and socioeconomic factors in the development of children's gross motor skills.