Could neonatal health indicators and parent’s socioeconomic status predict motor development and visual perception in children?

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between neonatal health indicators and socio-economic factors with motor development and visual perception in children. Participants were children aged 7 to 9 years in Tabriz, from which 103 people were randomly selected from three public schools. To collect data, a demographic information questionnaire and information related to childbirth, Socio-economic background questionnaire, Bruininks-oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and Benton’s visual retention test were used. Analysis of data obtained from Pearson correlation test and multiple linear regression showed, between the variables of mother education (P = 0.001), father education (P = 0.001), place of residence (P = 0.03) and type Birth (P = 0.01) with motor development, in children at the age of 7 to 9 years, a positive and significant relationship was observed. Also, a positive and significant relationship was observed between the variables of income (P = 0.04) and birth weight (P = 0.001) with visual perception. Also, the two variables of mother's education (33%) and father's education (32%) have the power to predict children's motor development and variable of birth weight (46%) can predict children's visual perception. Therefore, it can be said that neonatal health indicators (except birth weight) do not have the ability to predict children's motor and perceptual development; While socioeconomic factors of parents can predict motor and perceptual development. Therefore, it can be said that emphasizing the role of socio-economic status in motor development and visual perception of children is very important.