Abstract
Background: The results of foreign studies have shown that psychomotor development of adolescents from orphanages falls significantly behind common developmental norms. In the Czech Republic, there is a lack of evidence of this issue despite the fact that some experts emphasize the possible defects of institutional care in the Czech Republic.Objective: The purpose of the study was to compare the level of psychomotor development of 13 year old adolescents from orphanages located in Prague and their counterparts from majority society. Methods: Psychomotor development of adolescents was tested with the complete form of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, second edition (BOT-2), which consists of 52 items, divided into 12 dimensions assessing the level of fine motor skills, gross motor skills, coordination and agility. The study sample consisting of 57 adolescents (age 13.47 ± 0.26 years) included a sample of 21 adolescents from orphanages and 36 adolescents from majority society living in the Prague region. Results: Compared to their counterparts from majority society, adolescents from orphanages achieved significantly lower scores only in the fine motor precision dimension (η2 = .13; p = .032). The study showed significant difference between boys from orphanages and boys from majority society in the fine motor precision dimension (η2 = .13; p = .028), boys from majority society achieved significantly higher scores in this dimension. The results did not find significant difference in any BOT-2 dimensions between girls from majority society and girls from orphanages. Adolescents from orphanages achieved higher scores in the dimensions of strength and agility, running speed and agility and strength. Conclusion: Differences in psychomotor development were not confirmed in the observed dimensions of bilateral coordination and balance between the sample of adolescents from orphanages in Prague and their counterparts from majority society. This may be attributed to the specificity of institutional care in the Czech Republic.
Highlights
At present, institutional care of children from orphanages is becoming a major issue especially due to an array of contradictory opinions either supporting or rejecting institutional care in orphanages (Mwaniki, Mokokha, & Muttunga, 2015; Raskin, Kotake, Easterbrooks, Ebert, & Miller, 2015; Zeman & Zeman, 2005)
The results of all BOT-2 test dimensions of AO and AMS, BO and BMS and GO and GMS are presented in Table 1, 2 and 3, respectively
Our study found significantly worse scores by adolescents from orphanages only in the dimension of fine motor precision. This result was confirmed by boys from orphanages who achieved significantly worse scores in this dimension in comparison to boys from majority society too
Summary
Institutional care of children from orphanages is becoming a major issue especially due to an array of contradictory opinions either supporting or rejecting institutional care in orphanages (Mwaniki, Mokokha, & Muttunga, 2015; Raskin, Kotake, Easterbrooks, Ebert, & Miller, 2015; Zeman & Zeman, 2005). Objective: The purpose of the study was to compare the level of psychomotor development of 13 year old adolescents from orphanages located in Prague and their counterparts from majority society. Results: Compared to their counterparts from majority society, adolescents from orphanages achieved significantly lower scores only in the fine motor precision dimension (η2 = .13; p = .032). Conclusion: Differences in psychomotor development were not confirmed in the observed dimensions of bilateral coordination and balance between the sample of adolescents from orphanages in Prague and their counterparts from majority society. This may be attributed to the specificity of institutional care in the Czech Republic
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