Academic achievement associated with motor performance and sex in different subcultures

Introduction: School and motor performances demonstrates achievements of children throughout childhood. Gender and the child's developmental context interfere with the differentiated trends of intensity and direction of school and motor performance. Objective: To analyze the association among school performance, motor performance, and the sex of children of different subcultures Method: The study included 233 children aged 7 to 10 years, 127 boys (8.2 ± 0.92 years) and 106 girls (8.4 ± 0.85 years), from three different subcultures (semi-arid, mountainous, and coastal weather) of Northeast Brazil. Data were collected from the School Performance Test and the Test of Gross Motor Development-2. Descriptive statistics, comparisons, and multivariate multiple linear regressions were used for analysis. Results: It was found that school delays were prevalent in boys, and motor delays, specifically in object control skills, were prevalent in girls. Motor performance is positively associated with performance in writing, reading, and arithmetic, but this relationship is specific for each subculture. Conclusions: There was an association among school performance, motor performance, and the sex of children in different Northeastern subcultures, evidencing the influence of subcultures and gender on the children’s performance.