Influência de características internalizantes e externalizantes no desenvolvimento motor de crianças de 36 meses - análise utilizando MABC-2

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the association between internalizing and externalizing behavioral characteristics and motor development in 36-month-old children. Methods: Cross-sectional study nested in a cohort initiated in 2021, including 60 children aged 36 months evaluated in Uberlândia, Brazil in 2024. Motor development was assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2, which classifies children into: green zone (adequate development), yellow zone (mild to moderate difficulty), and red zone (significant motor difficulty). Behavioral characteristics observed during tasks were categorized as internalizing and externalizing. The chi-square test was used to evaluate associations between motor classification and behavioral characteristics, while Spearman's correlation coefficient assessed the relationship between total motor scores and number of behavioral characteristics. Results: A statistically significant association was observed between motor classification and internalizing characteristics (χ²=6.78; df=2; p=0.034; Cramér's V=0.34), with children classified in the yellow/red zones showing higher frequency of internalizing behaviors. Moderate negative correlations were also observed between motor scores and internalizing (ρ=-0.40; p=0.003) and externalizing (ρ=-0.46; p<0.001) characteristics, indicating that a greater number of behavioral characteristics was associated with lower motor development scores. Conclusions: Internalizing behavioral characteristics are associated with alterations in motor development in 36-month-old children. Additionally, the presence of both internalizing and externalizing characteristics correlates with lower scores on the MABC-2 scale. These findings reinforce the importance of integrated approaches in child development assessment, favoring more effective early intervention strategies.