Home Environment Affordances and Maternal Health Literacy: Predictors of Motor Development in Children Aged 7 - 10

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to explore the relationship between home environment affordances and maternal health literacy (HL) as predictors of motor development in children aged 7 to 10 years. Methods: A total of 102 girls were selected through random cluster sampling from elementary schools in Tabriz city. The study was conducted in two phases: In the first phase, mothers completed a HL test and the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development Questionnaire (AHEMD). In the second phase, children's motor skills were assessed using the Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency (BOTMP). Results: Multiple linear regression analysis revealed significant relationships between home environment affordances and gross motor development, as well as between maternal HL and both gross and fine motor skills. Both home affordances and maternal HL were found to be strong predictors of motor development. Conclusions: The findings suggest that enhancing children's play environments and improving maternal HL can significantly support the development of children's motor skills. It is recommended that parents, educators, and educational institutions prioritize the creation of stimulating play environments and efforts to increase mothers' HL to promote motor development during the critical childhood years.